Chocolate Orange Mousse with Olive Oil & Sea Salt
For me, a chocolate mousse is one of life's great things, rich, silky and completely timeless. But when spring rolls around and I still want that chocolate hit, I love to give it a citrus twist. This Chocolate Orange Mousse takes me straight back to my favourite chocolate as a kid, if you grew up breaking apart a Terry's Chocolate Orange, you already know exactly where this is going.
The olive oil and sea salt finish might raise an eyebrow, but trust the process, it lifts the whole thing and makes it feel grown up and a little bit special. Make it the night before, pull it out of the fridge, and finish it at the table. Effortless and impressive in equal measure.
Serves: 6
Ingredients
200g dark chocolate (around 70%), chopped
50g extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to finish
4 eggs, separated
50g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 large orange, plus extra to finish
Pinch of fine salt
Flaky sea salt, to finish
Method
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Stir gently until melted and glossy, then remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, it should feel just warm, not hot. Stir in the olive oil until smooth and combined.
Add the egg yolks, half the sugar, the vanilla extract and orange zest to the chocolate mixture and mix until smooth and glossy.
In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt and the remaining sugar until soft peaks form.
Stir a large spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest in two batches, cutting through the middle and turning the bowl as you go until no white streaks remain. Go gently, you want to keep as much air in there as possible.
Spoon into six small glasses or ramekins, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until set.
Just before serving, drizzle each mousse with a little extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of flaky sea salt and a little fresh orange zest.
Elliot's Tips
Use a good extra virgin olive oil. Fruity and peppery works beautifully here alongside the chocolate and orange, and it's the star of the finish so don't hold back.
Let the chocolate cool before adding the yolks. Too hot and you'll scramble them. Five minutes off the heat is all it needs, it should feel just warm to the touch.
Clean bowl, clean whisk for the whites. Any trace of grease and your whites won't whip. Make sure everything is spotless before you start.
This mousse contains raw eggs. Use the freshest eggs you can find. Not recommended for pregnant women, young children, the elderly or anyone with a compromised immune system.
Make it ahead. This mousse keeps beautifully in the fridge for up to 2 days. Add the olive oil drizzle, flaky salt and fresh zest just before serving.