Ultimate Chocolate Mousse
Recipe from Foodandwine.com, Craig Claiborne
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8 ounces semisweet dark chocolate, broken into ½-inch pieces
6 large eggs, separated
3 tablespoons water
¼ cup sweet liqueur (such as Chartreuse, Amaretto, Mandarin, or Grand Marnier)
2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
whipped cream and grated chocolate, for garnish
Chef’s note: We found our melted chocolate cooled too quickly while making the mousse and did not fold easily into the custard. We placed our custard over a VERY LOW double boiler and stirred to mix the chocolate smoothly into the mixture. Another option is to leave you chocolate over a low double boiler while preparing the other components to make sure it remains warm enough to mix easily.
Place chocolate in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, and cook over low, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Place egg yolks and 3 tablespoons water in a heavy saucepan; cook over very low, whisking vigorously and constantly, until yolks begin to foam and thicken, about 6 minutes. Whisk in liqueur, and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. The sauce should achieve the consistency of a hollandaise or sabayon. Remove from heat. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids.
Fold melted chocolate into sauce. Transfer chocolate mixture to a large bowl, and set aside.
Beat cream with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes, beating in 2 tablespoons sugar toward the end. Fold into chocolate mixture.
Using electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks start to form, about 1 minute. Beat in remaining ¼ cup sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold into chocolate-cream mixture.
Spoon mousse into a bowl, and chill until ready to serve, 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Garnish servings with whipped cream and grated chocolate.