Recipes

A chocolate mousse recipe from Rachel Green

Serves 6

    3 sticks of lemongrass
    200ml/7 fl oz milk
    270g/8oz milk chocolate
    1 packet of gelatine
    50g/2 oz caster sugar
    300 ml/ ½ pint double cream

Garnish

    2 lemons
    Caster sugar and cornflour, to taste
    Finely cut lemon peel

Method

Very finely chop the lemongrass into small pieces or finely grind in a food processor or pestle and mortar.

Pour the milk into a large, heavy-based saucepan, add the lemongrass and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 1 hour.

Break the chocolate into cubes and melt in a bain- marie (this means a small pan or bowl placed in a larger pan of boiling water, with the chocolate placed in the inner pan, so the chocolate is melted gently without direct heat) or microwave.

Semi-whip the double cream and sugar in a separate bowl, not too stiff.

Whisk the sugar and gelatine into the milk. Return to low heat, stirring continuously to slowly cook the egg until the gelatine has melted (do not boil).

Remove from the heat and stir in the melted chocolate. Leave to cool slightly. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove the lemongrass. Allow to cool completely.

Slowly fold in the double cream (do not overwhip the cream or it will separate). Pour the mousse into coffee cups or little pots.

Just before serving, make the sauce by juicing the lemons into a small, heavy-based saucepan. Reduce (this means boiling until it concentrates down into a stronger-tasting, smaller amount of liquid) by two-thirds over a low heat. Add a little sugar to taste. Thicken by adding a small amount of cornflour and mixing in well over heat.

To serve, turn out each mousse onto a plate. Drizzle with sauce and garnish with a curl of lemon peel.