Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients
110g plain dark chocolate (minimum 75% cocoa solids), broken into small pieces
40g butter
3 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
75ml water
100ml double cream 90g
2 egg whites

Directions
For the chocolate mousse, melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Cool slightly, stirring the mixture every once in a while.

Next, make a pate à bombe with the egg yolks and sugar: dissolve the sugar in the water in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat, then increase the heat to high and bring the syrup to the boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a large bowl, using an electric beater, until pale and creamy. Boil the syrup until it registers 120°C on a sugar thermometer. With the machine on the highest speed, slowly trickle the hot syrup onto the egg yolks. Keep on whisking until the mixture is thick and smooth and has substantially increased in volume. Whisk until the bowl no longer feels hot, then set aside to cool to room temperature.

Whip the cream to soft peaks. In another clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks. Fold the chocolate mixture into the pate à bombe, then fold in the whipped cream and finally the whisked egg whites. Pipe into cups and refrigerate overnight.

Credit: Gordon Ramsay, Chef