CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

A bounty of reputed aphrodisiacs – chocolate, cinnamon, cardamom, chilli and black pepper – all come together to bring a sultry warmth. I like my choc mousse pure and dark without cream or sugar. But then again, I use both as accompaniments in the form of softly whipped folds and crunchy pepper praline to balance the intensity.

SERVES 2

FOR THE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

H 100g best dark chocolate (60%-70% cocoa solids)

H 2 green cardamom pods, seeds ground

H ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

H small pinch of ground chilli

H small pinch of fine sea salt

H 10g unsalted butter

H 3 eggs, at room temperature

FOR THE BLACK PEPPER PRALINE (MAKES EXTRA)

H 75g caster sugar

H 30g toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

H 1 tbsp cacao nibs

H ½ tsp black peppercorns, cracked

FOR THE CHANTILLY CREAM

H 100ml whipping cream H 1½ tbsp caster sugar

1 Crack the chocolate into squares and put in a large heatproof bowl with the spices. Set above a pan of simmering water.

Once largely melted, remove from the heat and stir to melt fully. Melt in the salt and butter. Remove the bowl from the pan and leave the chocolate mixture to cool for a few minutes.

2 Separate the eggs, putting the whites in a large bowl and the

yolks in a smaller one. Whisk the whites to stiff peaks.

3 Stir the egg yolks one at a time into the lukewarm chocolate mixture until smooth. Add a third of the whisked egg whites to lighten the mixture, then very gently fold in the rest, keeping in all the precious air bubbles. Divide between two dishes or one sharing bowl, and chill for at least 4 hours.

4 For the praline, line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Heat the sugar without stirring in a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. It will melt to form a deep amber caramel – if it starts browning before fully melting, lower the heat and swirl a little until it all catches up. Stir in the hazelnuts, cacao nibs and pepper and pour on to the parchment, spreading it out slightly. Once set, chop into a mixture of chunks and smaller crumbs.

5 For the chantilly cream, whisk together the cream and sugar to form soft peaks, then chill.

6 Serve the praline and cream in separate bowls alongside the mousse so you can delve into each one as you eat.

There is probably more praline and cream than you’ll need here, but now is not the time to be restrained.