Head chef Amey Rane at Forage Kitchen and Bar, Mövenpick Hotel, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Head chef Amey Rane at Forage Kitchen and Bar, Mövenpick Hotel, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Amey Rane, head chef at Forage Kitchen + Bar at Movenpick Hotel Wellington is no stranger to working with chocolate. Here he shares a wickedly delicious mousse recipe that would make a magical end to a Sunday dinner party.
What does Sunday look like in your kitchen?
The only kitchen activity on a Sunday for me is fetching coffee for my wife, who prepares breakfast so I can enjoy quality time with my 14-month-old daughter. Outside of some prep for the next day’s meals, we avoid the kitchen on Sundays in favour of going out to explore Wellington’s Harbourside Market for fresh veges and herbs, and to visit local eateries while walking around the bay.
So on Sundays our kitchen goes from clean canvas in the morning to a colourful array of fresh herbs and veges by late afternoon.
Who doesn’t like an indulgent chocolate mousse? It’s a year-round crowd-pleaser. At work we serve it with a mirror glaze and garnish, but this version can easily be made at home.
While the recipe may look simple, there are a few components involved in bringing it together, so enjoy taking your time to prepare it. I’d suggest preparing the mousse at least day ahead of your dinner party to avoid any last-minute stress.
Since becoming the head chef at Forage Kitchen + Bar, I have come to appreciate the complexity of chocolate, especially in the products we produce locally. Using quality chocolate (I like Wellington Chocolate Co’s Dark) really does make a difference.
Chef Amey Rane's chocolate mousse. Photo / Mark Mitchell
2. To make a creme anglaise: Bring milk to a boil with some of the sugar, beat yolks and remaining sugar. Pour hot milk into the yolk mixture, whisk thoroughly. Return to stove and cook custard to 85C on medium-low heat, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from the heat, whisk in gelatine and pass through a sieve over the melted dark chocolate. Mix well.
4. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks. When the chocolate mixture reaches 38C, fold in whipped cream. Pipe into moulds immediately and leave in the freezer for a minimum of 3 hours prior to serving.
1. Toast nuts in a 180C oven for about 9 minutes. Let cool and remove skin.
2. To make caramel: In a hot saucepan stir in powdered sugar over medium-high heat and cook until it turns light brown, but not too dark. Turn off the heat and fold in the toasted nuts. 3. Transfer the caramelised nuts on to a silicon mat and let cool completely.
4. Break into pieces and while the food processor is running throw in the pieces of caramelised nuts and blend for 4 minutes or until it forms a paste.
5. Melt the milk chocolate and cocoa butter together. Mix the melted chocolate mixture with the praline, fold in crushed cornflakes and set aside at room temperature on a silicon mat. Once it has cooled down cut out rounds with a ring.
6. To assemble: Place the praline rounds on a plate, then top with chocolate mousse and finish with your favourite garnish.
