Chocolate and Ginger Mousse

I had 3 lovely ladies from Australia come for a cooking class this Easter. One of the recipes I did went down extremely well, especially with the three husbands who joined us for an evening meal. It was my Ginger and Choclate Mousse. Find the recipe below and enjoy!!

BITTER CHOCOLATE AND GINGER MOUSSE

4 eggs

100g Chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa

25g reserved Ginger in Syrup

1 tbsp Armagnac

50g finely crushed ginger biscuits

Cream

Coffee

1)      Separate eggs

2)      Whisk yokes until pale and fluffy

3)      Melt chocolate in a bain marie

4)      Take chocolate off heat, add a splash of Armagnac and ginger syrup

5)      Add yolks to the chocolate mix, and stir

6)      Whisk egg whites to soft peaks

7)      Fold egg white in to chocolate mix

8)      Place a little crushed biscuit and finely chopped ginger in the bottom of cocktail glasses. Add a splash of Armagnac in each glass

9)      Gently spoon mousse in to glasses

10)   Finish with cream whipped with a little coffee (Use a spuma if you have one, and chill)

11)   Sprinkle with powdered chocolate, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Tell me what you think!!

Quail Veronique

Following the opening of our restored farmhouse, Domaine La Veronique for Gourmet Holidays in June 2011, I felt the need to invent a signature dish. I adapted the classic 'Sole Véronique' recipe using Quail, and I'm very pleased with the outcome. So I thought I'd share the recipe with you. Let me know if you have any questions.

Suck it and see!!

Chef Pierre

Quail Véronique

Serves 6

6 quail

18 green grapes, halved and de-seeded

6 small tsps of unsalted butter

2 tblsp olive oil with a tblsp of butter

8 sprigs of lemon thyme

10cl Dry white wine

10cl Reduced chicken stock

10cl Crème Fraîche

1)           Remove the Quail’s wing tips and heads, rinse and pat dry.

2)           Preheat the oven to 170ºC

3)           Place a tsp of butter and a sprig of lemon thyme inside each bird, and season with salt and pepper.

4)           Put olive oil and butter in a shallow roasting tin. Heat on a burner. Add the quail and brown.

5)           Then place the roasting tin in the oven and roast the quail for about 40 minutes, basting every ten minutes, until juices run clear.

6)           When the quail are cooked, remove from oven and place breast side down on a chopping board that will retain the juices. Cover with tin foil, and leave to rest whilst making the sauce.

7)           Remove the leaves from the remaining two sprigs of thyme, and set aside.

8)           In a saucepan, reduce the white wine by half, add the stock, and again reduce by half. Pour the juices off the cutting board and the roasting pan in to the saucepan, and degrease if necessary.

9)           Stir in the Crème Fraîche and add the grapes and thyme leaves. N.B. If the sauce appears too thin, whisk in a little ‘beurre manie’.

10)      Remove the legs and breasts from the Quail, arrange them on individual, pre-heated plates on top of potato purée (or other potato dish), with an assortment of baby vegetables. Dress with the sauce and enjoy!!