Chocolate Olive Oil Mousse

This is a super smooth, luscious and rich mousse. Use a good quality olive oil along with dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids to render in that quality of this mousse.

INGREDIENTS – [This recipe is adapted from Nigella Lawson]

• Bitter Dark Chocolate – 150 grams
• Olive Oil – 100 millilitres
• Eggs – 4 at room temperature
• Salt – a pinch

• Sugar – 50 grams (which I substituted with good quality of honey which is about 2 tablespoons full)

Steps to make the Mousse

You will need 6 x 100ml/ 6 x 1/2 cup ramekins or 8 espresso cups.

Melt the chocolate either in the microwave or in a large heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water (but not touching the water), making sure – either way – you remove it from the heat before it is completely melted, then stir it gently so that the last little pieces of chocolate dissolve. Leave to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the oil to combine and set aside for a moment. Whisk the egg whites and a pinch of salt in a grease-free bowl until you have firm peaks. Set aside for the moment.

In another bowl, large enough to take everything later, whisk the yolks, honey (or sugar if that is what you are using) and ¼ teaspoon of salt until pale, thick and about doubled in volume. You don’t need to clean the beaters when going from whites to yolks.

Gradually pour the chocolate-oil mixture into the beaten yolks and fold to mix completely. Add a third of the beaten egg whites and fold in vigorously to lighten the mixture; no need to be delicate at this stage. Now gently fold in another third of the egg whites and, when that second lot is incorporated, fold in the final third leaving behind any liquid at the bottom of the bowl of whites. No white streaks should be visible. In a rather freeform way, gently spoon the mousse into your ramekins or glasses. To get the right texture – soft and satiny, rather than set like a more traditional mousse – you can either refrigerate for 20 minutes then eat straight away, or for exactly one hour and then take out to come to room temperature for 40 minutes before eating.