Hello Again, Chocolate Mousse

August 7th, 2009  |  72 Comments

One fine day in my not too distant past, I decided to spend my lunch hour milling around the Barnes and Noble. Just a regular day, it was, with the usual rows of books, and the usual cappuccino slinging. As I stood there, leafing through Poker for Dummies, my ears suddenly perked up. It was the store announcer crackling over the loud speaker. He was pleased to announce that in 15 minutes, Jacques Torres would be giving a demonstration and signing books in the main area. Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!

Needless to say, I did a little jig in the Crafts aisle before bee-lining to front and center. I would get to watch the great Jacques Torres in action and, if I didn’t faint by the end, I’d get to sample a dessert! I was beside myself. In those days, Jacques Torres was on PBS and I watched him fling profiteroles at the audience every Sunday. My cheeks hurt from over-smiling.

Too bad that smile faded not 30 seconds later when Jacques revealed that he’d be demonstrating chocolate mousse. Suddenly, an overwhelming drowsiness kicked in. Chocolate mousse was so booooooring. It was in every cookbook, on every menu. Everywhere, like pigeons. Anyone with a whisk and an apron could throw together chocolate mousse.

But I stayed in my seat, because when it’s Jacques Torres, you stay in your seat. He began talking and showing. His moves were very calculated, like he didn’t have a gesture to waste. He spoke of different types of sho-ko-laht, as he pronounced it, while he got his bowls in line. The way he spoke was both entertaining and educational. Those years on TV made him a good showman. My eyebrow arched and now I was in.

A few things really made an impression. One was that he favored Valrhona chocolate, but if stranded some place with extremely limited options, he would choose the everyday supermarket Dove brand. He deemed it to be an acceptable substitute in a pinch.

Another thing that struck me was that when he started folding his whipped cream into the chocolate, he spun his bowl really quickly, as though it was a pottery wheel, and dug his spatula in with fervor, a fast chopping motion. Someone from the audience pointed out that folding was supposed to be a delicate affair. Yes, he said. He was doing it “delicately” when compared with another kitchen technique: whipping. Using a whisk is much more violent than using a spatula to incorporate something, he explained. To this day, I fold like Jacques Torres.

In a few minutes, he ladled out the mousse and dropped a couple of raspberries over each sample. Even though they were served in paper cups with plastic spoons, as soon as I had my first bite, I was hypnotized. I closed my eyes and saw myself seated in his 4-star restaurant, Le Cirque. The silver spoon shone as I dipped it in the chocolatey cloud. The texture was dreamy–so ethereal, so sensual, so refined–and yet the flavor was full, cloaking me in it’s depth.

I never took chocolate mousse for granted again.

I’ve noticed over time that most chocolate mousse recipes are essentially the same: melt chocolate, fold in cream. That’s why it’s imperative that the chocolate be of excellent quality. It’s the difference between a mousse that bores and a mousse that stuns. Here’s a recipe that I’ve had so long I’m not sure of its origin, but I think it began in the New York Times. In any case, it’s had its share of tinkering and modifications. I love the combo of milk chocolate and caramel used here, but feel free to substitute dark chocolate.

Here are some chocolate brands that make me want to get out of bed in the morning:

40% Jivara Lactee Feves – Valrhona – 3 kg

45% Grand Lait Minigrammes – Michel Cluizel – 11 kg

Whaddaya know? I go for the French stuff.

If you do a lot of baking, buying in bulk makes sense cost-wise, but if you don’t want to buy a honking 5 lb box, these brands can often be found in the fancier supermarkets in more manageable 4 or 8 oz blocks. I see Valrhona at Whole Foods all the time.

Milk Chocolate Caramel Mousse
makes 6 servings
recipe can be doubled

I used to be intimidated by the dry caramel method used here until I tried it. Now I think it’s far easier than the wet caramel method and will never go back! The sugar doesn’t crystallize.

1/3 cup (2.5 oz.) granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz; 42 g) unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (12 fluid oz.) heavy cream, divided into 1 cup (8 oz) and 1/2 cup (4 oz)
4 oz. high quality milk chocolate

1. Just 4 happy ingredients!

2. Start by making the caramel: sprinkle a thin layer of  sugar in a lightly colored-pan set over medium-high heat. ( A light pan will help you gage the color of the caramel.)

In a minute or 2 it starts to melt. Don’t bother to stir or anything.

Sprinkle more sugar. The heat of the already melted sugar will start melting the new addition right away.

Keep adding until all your sugar is in. This may take 2 or 3 additions. It will melt quickly and the edges will color faster than the center. Swirling the pan around helps get the sugar to caramelize more evenly.

In a few minutes, the sugar goes amber, like this:

3. Now you must work quickly to avoid burning the sugar. Sprinkle in the butter lumps, and whisk them in.

4. Now, add the 1/2 cup of cream, but GRADUALLY. The cream will sputter and roil when it comes in contact with the hot sugar. Some of the sugar will seize and harden a little, but keep whisking. It will dissolve.

Here I added a small dribble of cream and whisked it in:

Then I added another dribble of cream and whisked again. How about those angry bubbles?

And the final addition of cream. Ooooh, yeah.

Caramel, all whisked up and smooth. Remove pan from heat and let it rest until we get to it.

5. Meanwhile, take the remaining 1 cup of cream, and whip it to soft peak.

You can see trails in the cream, but it’s still kind of droopy and doesn’t hold a peak.

Pop this bowl of cream in the fridge to keep it chilled while we melt chocolate.

6. Fill a pot with water and bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to low, and rest a bigger bowl filled with your chocolate over said pot. This is our faux double boiler. If you have a real double boiler that’s been waiting for this special occasion, use it now!

Don’t let any water get into your chocolate or you will witness a grainy mess. Gently let it melt, stirring occasionally to help it along.

Oooooh.

7. Once it’s completely melted, remove from the heat, and stir in the caramel.

You will notice the texture is mottled and dull, like this. Don’t stop here.

Grab a whisk, and work up some elbow grease. You’re trying to create an emulsion. Whisk in a rapid, circular motion like you’re trying to rev up an engine.  Start from the center and whisk outward, in concentric circles. The mix should end up glossy and very smooth. This will make the texture of the mousse luxuriously creamy.

8. Make sure the contents are lukewarm or cooler. (A chance to taste test, in my book.) If the mix is still hot, let it sit until it’s cool enough. Scoop about 1/3 of the whipped cream into the bowl and gently fold it in. This will help lighten the dense chocolate and ensure better incorporation of the whipped cream.

It doesn’t have to be 100% incorporated yet.

Add the rest of the whipped cream and gently fold that in too, just until all the cream is incorporated.

Here is the final mousse. It’s quite loose here, but still has body. It looks like a very thick chocolate drink. Pour it into ramekins or glasses and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to allow it to set up.

Diggin’ in..