Chocolate - Chestnut Mousse

(This article originally appeared in the February 2006

issue of LaBrea Living Magazine.)

It’s Name Threatens Hell,
but this Dessert is Heavenly


by dale reinert,
food editor

December 30th, 2005 – I had never been to Paris before. But I had a plan. After reading two tour books and having traveled to many other European cities, it was going to be simple. I was not going to take a tour bus ride to orientate myself to the city. I was not going to go to the restaurants highlighted in books and noted by friends.

Determined to discover this timeless city in a way that made it my own, I went out and walked and walked. I was seeking Paris on my own terms. I would tour the city’s sights from noon till 5 in the afternoon, then nap, shower and head out to an early dinner around 7:00 p.m. – well ahead of the crowds of Parisians who typically arrive closer to 8:30 p.m.

I left the bed and breakfast and walk north along the rue de Lyon. Circling the Place de Bastille, I marveled at the giant opera with its partial round design echoing the famed prison that once stood in this spot.

I headed east along the rue du Rivoli, which if Paris has an old style main street, it is definitely Rivoli. Long, narrow and cramped, Rivoli was crowded in the snowy, off-season and I couldn’t imagine the tight quarters people experienced along Rivoli on a warm, summer night.

I wandered through the Marais, and was stunned by the pipe-skinned modern Pompidou Center and was caught by the contrast between its soaring size on one end of a fountain and the soaring spires of St. Merri’s Church at the opposite end.

On the narrow cobblestone pathways that lace through the Marais, I walk past many restaurants. I read menus, noted interior decors, and let each eatery speak to me. This night the voice of El Pavé spoke clearest.

I enjoyed the appetizer of simmered baby leeks garnished with a sauce of beet and mint as well as the French peasant main dish of pot-au-feu, with creamy marrow and melted connective tissue, the dish was pure flavor and way too much for me to eat.

For dessert, I order L’Damnation, described as chestnut mousse topped with crème fraiche and covered in hot, dark chocolate sauce. Its name seemed naughty and I am always intrigued by the melding of chocolate and nut flavors. The roundness of the flavors stunned me. I ate and ate and couldn’t stop eating. Immediately upon finishing it, I looked up wanting more, longing for more. Here is my interpretation of L’Damnation, which really is quite heavenly.

Chocolate - Chestnut Mousse

Ingredients
1 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate, melted
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 15 ½-ounce can of chestnut puree
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream, beaten to stiff peaks
4 egg whites, beaten to form soft peaks
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbls of water

Procedure
1. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over very low heat. When the chocolate is completely melted, remove the top pan from the heat.

2. In a bowl, mash the chestnut puree into little bits. Once it is broken up, use a wooden spoon to incorporate into the melted chocolate and butter. Stir in the vanilla and kosher salt. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.

3. In a metal bowl that has been made cold by sitting in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 minutes, beat the heavy cream until stiff and fold into the chocolate-butter mixture.

4. Heat the sugar and 3 tbsp water to boiling, stirring until it reaches 240oF degrees. The color should be a light golden brown caramel.

5. Using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer, begin to beat the egg whites and cream of tartar while slowly incorporating the hot syrup into the egg whites. Continue beating the mixture until soft peaks form.

6. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture into the sugar-egg whites. Spoon into individual dessert dishes. Remember to leave room for the crème fraiche and hot dark chocolate sauce.

7. Cover and refrigerate until completely set – at least 4 hours. Hints and Tips: To finish the mousse, top it with either sweetened whipped cream or the tart, tangy flavor of mascarpone cheese, crème fraiche, or even homemade yogurt cheese. These tangy flavors will round out the deep sweetness of the mousse.