Chocolate Mousse from hervé this Every chocolate book and pastry chef teaches us to never let water get near melting chocolate: It will seize and crumble, and ruin dessert. But Hervé This--the French chemist who invented the study of (and the very phrase) molecular gastronomy--figured out how to mix the unmixable and turn them into chocolate mousse. It also happens to be the simplest way to make mousse at home: Melt chocolate with water, then cool it over an ice bath and whisk till you have mousse. Like other emulsions (vinaigrette, aïoli), as you whip, microscopic bits of water get suspended in the fat (here: cocoa butter), thickening it and making it seem creamier. The cooling chocolate crystallizes around the air bubbles, just like whipped cream, to make a remarkably stable foam, a.k.a. mousse. The best thing about this is that it tastes like pure, unob-structed chocolate, without cream or egg to confuse the issue. (It also happens to be vegan, if you use dark chocolate without any added milk.) This all happens fast as the mixture cools, so chances are you'll go too far on your first try and the mousse may stiffen up beyond the point you'd wanted. But if this happens, Mr. This is unfazed--he has you return the chocolate mixture to the pan, melt it, and start over (see note). Genius Tip Once you have the rhythm of making this mousse down, you can flavor it as you wish with liqueurs or coffee or spices, sweeten it to your liking, or just keep it dark and intense. Serves 4 3⁄4 cup (180ml) water 8 ounces (225g) chocolate (I use bittersweet chocolate that's 70 percent cacao--choose a high-quality chocolate you love), broken into pieces Ice cubes Whipped cream, for topping (optional; page 236) Simply pour the water into a saucepan over medium-low heat (the water can be improved from the gastronomic point of view if it is flavored with orange juice, for example, or cassis puree--just replace some of the water with an equal amount of the flavorful liquid). Then, add the chocolate and whisk it in as it melts. The result is a homogenous sauce. Put the saucepan in a bowl partly filled with ice cubes (or pour into another bowl over the ice so it will chill faster), then whisk the chocolate sauce, either manually with a whisk or with an electric mixer (if using an electric mixer, watch closely--it will thicken faster). Whisking creates large air bubbles in the sauce, which steadily thickens. After a while strands of chocolate form inside the loops of the whisk. Pour or spoon immediately into ramekins, small bowls, or jars and let set. note: Three things can go wrong. Here's how to fix them. If your chocolate doesn't contain enough fat and won't form a mousse, melt the mixture again, add more chocolate, and then whisk it again. If the mousse is not light enough, melt the mixture again, add more water, and whisk it once more. If you whisk it too much, so that it becomes grainy, simply melt the mixture and whisk it again, adding nothing. 3Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving. Top with whipped cream, if desired. Excerpted from Food52 Genius Recipes: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook by Kristen Miglore All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
