Mousse au Chocolat with rum, approx. 2.5 liters

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 4 eggs, size L
• 400 cl whipped cream
• 50 cl whole milk
• 150 g sugar
• 50 cl brown rum
• 200 g dark chocolate
• 4 sheets of gelatin
• 1 pinch of salt
• 3 drops of lemon juice

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest period approx. 1 day; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 1 day 40 minutes

Place the gelatin in a bowl of water to soak. Break the chocolate into very small pieces. In a large stainless steel bowl (at least 4 liters), whip the cream until stiff, but not too stiff. Carefully separate the egg whites and yolks, taking care not to get any of the yolks into the egg whites. Place the egg whites in a well-degreased stainless steel bowl (from the food processor) and add a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Beat the egg whites with the whisk in the food processor until stiff peaks form. Make sure you have degreased the whisk and bowl thoroughly beforehand. Place the sugar and 50 cl of water in a small saucepan and melt over low heat at 110°C. If the sugar does not dissolve properly when boiling, add a little water. While the food processor is running, add the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream to the egg whites (the egg whites should already be stiff and foamy at this point). The hot syrup ensures that the egg whites become extra stiff and stay stiff, and cook until cooked through. You now have the whipped cream and beaten egg whites ready. Pour the milk into a stainless steel bowl and heat it in a bain-marie. Melt the gelatin in it. Once the gelatin has dissolved, add the egg yolks and rum and beat until a zabaglione-like, warm, foamy mixture forms. Remove from the heat. Carefully add the chocolate, a little at a time, so the mixture remains fluffy. Once all the chocolate has melted, gradually add this mixture to the whipped cream. Don’t stir, but gently fold it with a silicone spatula, as if folding envelopes. When the two mixtures are well combined, add the beaten egg whites and gently fold them in. Don’t stir or use a whisk, as this will knock out the air. Once you have a homogeneous mixture, you can pour it into molds. Refrigerate for 24 hours to allow the mousse to set nicely. The mousse will be firm but will melt in your mouth; you’ll be able to see the air bubbles when you eat it. You’ll get about 2.5 liters of mousse if you work carefully.