Gourmet

The carefree mousse

Made with Cooking Range Oriado 60% organic dark chocolate

Recipes extracted from Simply chocolate by Frédéric Bau © - 2020 Albin Michel editions.

2 steps

Here’s a super-easy, super-fast, super-indulgent, super-creamy, and super-chocolatey recipe. Simply put, just super! Thanks to the Spanish Chef Ferran Adrià (pioneer of using agar agar in the savory and pastry kitchens) and his crazy ideas that revolutionized the gastronomic world.

Recipe Step by Step

ALMOND CRYSTALS

100g (1 cup) almond flour
60g (3 Tbsp) agave syrup

Preheat the oven to 285‑300°F (140‑150°C).
Gently mix the almond flour with the agave syrup until it feels like marzipan.
Between two pieces of baking paper, roll out the dough to as thin as possible (1mm).
Take off the top paper and bake for 7‑8 minutes, until golden.
Keep in a dry place until needed.

CHOCOLATE FOAM

170g Oriado 60% organic dark chocolate
270g (1 cup + 1 ½ Tbsp) whole milk
2g (1 tsp) agar agar

Siphon
2 ½ -3 inch metal ring, 1 ½ -2 inches high (6-8cm diameter, 4-5cm high), optional

Mix the agar agar and milk together in a pot. Over low heat, bring to a rolling boil.
Put the chocolate in a bowl. In three or four additions, mixing after each, pour the hot milk and agar agar over the chocolate. Blend until the mixture looks shiny and very elastic (method described below).
Pour this emulsion into a siphon and add two gas cartridges. Shake well and quickly fill the metal circles if you’re using them to plate. Otherwise, fill small bowls. Keep at room temperature.

Assembly and finishing

Download this recipe

Stick slivers of the almond crystal into the chocolate mousse in a way that looks elegant and most importantly... indulgent. Eat at room temperature.
Gourmet effect: If you want and if you have time, serve this delicious dessert with some sauteed fruits, julienned pineapples, or even just a simple vanilla yogurt.

Meet the Chef

valrhona.com-portraits-chefs-frederic-bau

Creative Director Valrhona at Tain l’Hermitage

Frédéric Bau

MASTERING EMULSIONS To emulsify means to join and stabilize two things that aren’t compatible, like water and oil (fat in liquid state, cocoa butter for chocolate, and nut oils for the pralinés). The more friction there is between the water and the fat, the finer the emulsion will be with a smoother texture and longer shelf life (and also a fresher sensation in the mouth). REQUIRED EQUIPMENT: an immersion blender • Use chocolate in chunks or chopped up. • Heat or boil the liquid in the recipe. • About one quarter of the hot liquid over the chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes. • Begin to mix with a spatula: the chocolate will quickly thicken, then will often split. In the beginning, stir energetically to help it to split. • Next, add the second quarter of the hot liquid. Continue to mix energetically to begin to create a smooth, shiny, elastic core. This is the sign that the emulsion process has begun correctly. • Add the third quarter of the hot liquid and continue to mix energetically. At this point, it’s okay to use the immersion blender to finish the emulsion. Be careful: make sure that the temperature is at least 95‑104°F (35‑40°C); below 95°F (35°C), the cocoa butter can begin to harden. • Finally, add the rest of the hot liquid and blend for a few seconds until the texture is smooth, silky, and very creamy. Mission accomplished! • Let it rest in the refrigerator for 3‑5 hours, or even better, overnight. The cocoa butter will recrystallize nicely, resulting in a pleasant texture. Now you know everything, or almost everything, to successfully make a ganache, a wonderful chocolate mousse, a sauce, or a parfait… Everything you need to be an expert!

Learn more