Chocolate mousse with a Liefmans sabayon

We Belgians like to think of ourselves as real gourmets. It will come as no surprise that we are also chocoholics with a very sweet tooth.

We take our desserts very seriously and always use the very best ingredients we can. We also like to draw inspiration from other international cuisines.

Take, for example, the Italian zabaione, better known in our country as a sabayon, prepared with whisked egg yolk and alcohol.

Chocolate is of course one of our country’s trade marks, together with our unrivaled beers. We enjoy our delicious chocolate in many ways: bars, tablets and pralines in various shapes and many different flavours.

Chocolate is also a much-loved cooking ingredient. This chocolate mousse made with pure Belgian fondant chocolate richly deserves its classic status.

Ingredients

For the chocolate mousse:

30g butter
20g sugar
100ml cream
100g dark chocolate
4 egg whites

For the sabayon:

2 egg yolks
100ml Liefmans Kriek Brut (quality sour cherry beer)
30g sugar
100ml cream

Preparation

For the mousse, melt the butter and the chocolate together at a low temperature on the hob or put in the microwave for a minute at a time, heating until melted. Pour in the cream.

Beat the egg whites together with the sugar. Add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture and stir gently.

Fold the beaten egg white/sugar mixture into the chocolate mix. It is important that both mixes are at room temperature; if the chocolate is too warm, the egg whites will start to return to their liquid form.

If the chocolate is too cold, the mixture will turn lumpy.

Pour into small pots and place in the fridge for two hours to let the mousse firm up.

Then make the sabayon. In a small saucepan on a low heat, whisk the egg yolks with the krieken beer and sugar.

Once the mixture is firm and warm, chill in a dish placed on ice.

When the mixture is suitably chilled, add the cream and whisk once again for a short time until it thickens. Pour the sabayon over the chocolate mousse to serve.

Beer

Slightly sour and bitter-sweet flavours combine to produce a splendid contrast. Liefmans Kriek Brut is a blend of beer and natural krieken (krieken cherries are a sour type of Morello cherry) juice.

This fresh, slightly sour fruit beer by Liefmans (part of Duvel Moortgat) is popular on outdoor terraces in the summer. Its vivid red colour catches the eye immediately.

The first aromas are fruity complemented by a hint of almond.

Chocolate is very nourishing and can be a bit filling at times. If you pair it with a slightly sour beer such as the Liefmans Kriek Brut, you will refresh your palate and stimulate your appetite. And you won’t feel full quite so quickly.

Tips & Tricks

Garnish the chocolate mousse with sliced raspberries or red currants.
Remember to remove the chocolate mousse from the fridge some time before serving so it is easy to eat with a spoon.
If you want to show off some more, add a stripe or two of vanilla sauce to the plate and dust with cocoa powder.