Peter Gordon's Chocolate, Chilli and Vanilla Mousse
Feel the fear and add the chilli to this light and lovely mousse anyway.
- prepare
- 8-10 servings
- Easy
This is a light and airy mousse but one that’s rich and showcases the characters of the cacao. I’m a fan of chilli, and it goes really well with chocolate, so be brave and add a little more than you think you might like.
Because the egg whites are beaten to a stiff meringue it makes more than you might expect, and will easily serve 8 – 10 portions (depending how hungry you are).
I serve mine with juicy blueberries and toasted coconut – but it goes equally as well with lightly whipped cream and berries, poached pears and toasted walnuts, or you might even find yourself eating it straight from the fridge.
Please note the recipe uses raw eggs – both the whites and yolks – so it may not be suitable for pregnant women or those with a suppressed immune system.
Ingredients
- 350g 70% chocolate buttons
- 500ml cream
- 4 eggs, separated
- 3 generous pinches sea salt
- 60g golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 – 3 tsp chilli sauce (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Bring 300ml of the cream almost to the boil, take off the heat, stir in the chocolate and let it melt into the cream stirring from time to time.
- Pour into a clean bowl and gently stir in the egg yolks.
- Beat the egg whites with the salt and sugar until stiff and glossy – about 4 minutes in a cake stand mixer. There should be no granular feel to the mixture.
- Gently fold a third of the egg whites into the chocolate (you don’t have to be too delicate for this first third). Now fold in the remaining egg whites – gently use a whisk if the whites don’t break up easily
- Beat the remaining cream and vanilla until medium-firm peaks, drizzle on the chilli sauce then gently fold into the chocolate leaving no white streaks.
- Divide between individual dishes or put in a large tub, cover and place in the fridge and chill until firm (this will take 2–3 hours for individual dishes and at least 6 hours for a large tub).
- Serve straight from the fridge. The mousse will keep for up to five days in the fridge.
