A Willie Harcourt-Cooze chocolate recipe

Willie's Chocolate Bible by Willie Harcourt-Cooze. Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, 2010

Classic chocolate mousse in a bitter chocolate case

Serves 12

Ingredients:

250g Madagascan Sambirano Superior 71% chocolate, roughly chopped

300g Indonesian Javan Light Breaking 69% chocolate, roughly chopped

6 eggs, separated

80g caster sugar

450ml double cream, lightly whipped

Equipment: 26-cm tart or shallow cake tin

Method:

Lightly oil the tart or cake tin, then take a piece of baking paper, at least 45 x 45 cm, and press it into the tin so it sticks firmly to the base and sides and comes up a little above the rim of the tin.

Melt the Madagascan Sambirano chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not in contact with the water. Pour into the lined tin and spread evenly, with a flexible spatula, over the bottom and up the sides. Chill in the fridge.

Melt the Indonesian Javan chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not in contact with the water. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with half the sugar until stiff.

In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and stir into the melted chocolate. Fold in the lightly whipped cream, then fold in the egg whites. Tip the mixture into the prepared chocolate case and place in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.

Carefully lift out of the tin and peel the baking paper off the sides. Use a fish slice or spatula to lift off the baking paper on the base and place on a serving plate. Keep chilled until ready to eat and serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche.

Harcourt-Cooze's chocolate can be purchase from his website.