Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate mousse has never gone out of fashion because it simply tastes so good (and is so easy to make). The trick to good mousse is keeping it as light as possible, so when adding the egg white and cream gently fold it in without stirring more than necessary, better to have a slight unevenness in colour than a flat mousse. You can melt chocolate in a microwave for 30 seconds or so on high. If doing it the traditional way over simmering water, be careful that steam doesn’t get into the chocolate or it will harden and be unusable, also ensure the bowl has completely cooled to room temperature before folding in the cream. The better the chocolate, the better the mousse, look for one marked ‘couverture’, meaning it contains a high percentage of cocoa butter. Chocolate can be tricky to match with wine, but I find a fortified, especially a PX Sherry like Gonzales Byass Nectar, works a treat!

Serves 2