Chocolate Mousse with Blueberries and Fennel Meringue
Inspiration:
This is a delicious dessert recipe for Christmas lunch using some of the fresh local produce that is available from our local farms.
December is when local blueberries come into season at Misty Valley Farm. The flavour of these blueberries is the best I have tasted. While driving to the farm all along the sides of the road, wild fennel grows in abundance and is flowering with pollen. When I combine these flavours with a rich chocolate mousse, it really lightens the dish up and sings of summer.
Makes 8 glasses
Chefs Pressure points and tips:
The most crucial step in the recipe Bringing the temperature of the honey to 121°c so it cooks the egg base of the mousse. This dish is great with cherries instead of blueberries if you prefer.
You can buy the Australian made and grown Daintree Chocolate online at www.daintreeestates.com
Ingredients:
Mousse
300g Dark chocolate
5 Egg yolks
2 Whole eggs
250g Honey
85g Water
500g Cream (whipped)
3g Sea salt
Meringue
120g Egg whites
120g Icing sugar
10g Wild fennel (chopped)
300g Blueberries
Method:
1. For the chocolate mousse melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water.
2. Whip eggs and egg yolks on a high-speed kitchen mixer until tripled in volume.
3. In a medium saucepan bring water and honey to 121°c
4. Slowly pour the honey and water into the egg mixture just inside the rim of the bowl in a nice steady stream while whisking on medium speed. If you pour in too fast the eggs will scramble due to the heat, so ensure you do this slowly inside the rim of the bowl.
5. Once incorporated, add salt and keep whisking the mixture on medium/high for 4 minutes or until its reached 38°c.
6. Whisk in the melted chocolate on low/medium speed, then fold through the whipped cream 1/3rd at a time.
7. Pour into glasses 1/3rd filled and place in fridge to set (approx. 3 hours)
8. To make the meringue use the leftover egg whites from the mousse, weigh 120g of whites and place in kitchen mixer bowl making sure the bowl is thoroughly cleaned.
9. Whisk the whites on a high speed until soft peaks are reached.
10. Gradually add sugar while whisking, once fully incorporated whisk until meringue has formed stiff peaks.
11. Fold chopped wild fennel through the meringue.
11. Using a pastry knife spread meringue thin over a sheets of baking paper and place on baking paper.
12. Dry meringue in oven on 80°c - 100°c for 1 hour, once dry peel meringue off the baking paper in shards and store in air tight containers for up to 1 week.
13. To serve place fresh blue berries on top of the mousse and top with shards of fresh meringue.