This very rich, break the rules, unique chocolate mousse showcases the quality chocolate you choose to use. Since this recipe does not have added sugars aside from the chocolate, be sure chocolate you choose tastes delicious on its own.
Chef's notes
Notes::
- This mousse breaks the golden rule for never allowing water near chocolate.
- Stop whisking the mousse as soon as you feel a thickness in the chocolate mixture and you begin to see faint whisk marks in the very soft mousse.
- This mousse continues to thicken as it sets off the ice.
Troubleshooting::
• If your chocolate does not thicken it may not contain enough fat. Add more melted chocolate off the ice to the mixture. Use only ½ ounce to start, whisking again over ice.
• If when adding the chocolate, the mixture becomes grainy, melt it in a water bath to liquid and start the process again.
• If the mixture is grainy from over whisking, melt and start again.
Variations:
- Liqueur Chocolate Mousse: Replace 2 tablespoons of the water with a liqueur such as Kahlua.
- Once you get the process down pat, try using a fruit juice, one that is complimentary to the flavor notes of your chocolate.
Steps
1
Preparing the Mousse
Ingredients
6 ounces (177ml) water
5 ounces (142grams) high-quality dark chocolate (70 to 72%), finely chopped, 1 to 2 ounces additional may be needed. Do not add unless you are certain the mousse is not going to set.
Fill a bowl at least halfway with ice cubes and a small amount of water. Fit a smaller bowl inside the ice-filled bowl to test the fit.
Next, pour the water into a saucepan and heat to until it is just warm. Add the 5 oz chocolate, stirring slowly until the chocolate has melted into a smooth sauce. Immediately remove from the heat.
Pour the chocolate sauce into the smaller bowl.
Whisk vigorously until you feel the chocolate stiffen. Expect this to take 2 to 5 minutes. The mousse will look like soft chocolate whipped cream at this point and you may see some tracks from the whisk.
Adjust the consistency with additional chocolate, as desired.
As soon as it is thickened and looks creamy, stop whisking and pour or spoon the mousse into small serving dishes.
The mousse sets up fast but will continue to thicken and become denser as it sets. The mousse can be refrigerated but serve at room temperature.
Serving suggestion:
Sprinkle with flaked sea salt, garnish with berries, chopped nuts, or a dollop of your favorite non-dairy cream.
