White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Mousse

Thamks to Lisa and Yvonne who are running an event about seasonal fresh produce - La Festa al Fresco 2007 . There are so many good things about just now to buy or pick – it’s hard to choose! I managed though =)

I’ve been really bad over the summer at trying to fit in blogging events, but it just hasn’t worked out. This Fresh event however, fitted right in with the way I’m cooking at the moment and I chose raspberries for this seasonal fresh event.

This is from Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer book. This is a simple dessert where you place raspberries in the bottom of glasses, cups, ramekins – you know the sort of things. Then you make an egg white puffed white chocolate mousse. You can leave them to sit overnight and get the raspberries soused with the passion fruit juice, but I like them after 4 – 6 hours in the fridge.

I would never have come up with a three way matching of white chocolate, passion fruit and raspberries, but it does work very well. My hubby is a white chocolate fan, I don’t mind it but wouldn’t eat it by the square, here though the passion fruit takes the tickle away from the chocolate and leaves a good flavour. I halved the recipe for 6 six servings.

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND PASSIONFRUIT MOUSSE
From Nigella Lawson’s Forever Summer.

300g white chocolate
6 eggs, separated
10 passion fruit
300g - 500g raspberries
Break the chocolate into pieces and melt in the microwave for about 3 minutes, or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water then set the bowl aside, and let the chocolate cool a little. Beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Mix the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate, though be gentle to ensure it doesn’t seize. Cut the passion fruit in half and scoop them, juice, pulp, seeds, into the yolk and chocolate mixture, then fold into the egg whites until completely incorporated.Line the bottom of either a big glass bowl or 8-10 small glasses with a layer of raspberries – it’s hard to be specific: it depends on the diameter of the glasses, or bowl, at the base really - and pour over the mousse. Leave for a couple of hours to set in the fridge, or for at least 4 if you’re using one large bowl. Strangely, given that I lean normally towards the communal rather than individual serving, I generally go the one-glass-one-person route. I think it’s because this is intense enough to require - even for me - small portions, and it’s impossible to dollop out as little as would fill a small glass without seeming mean. (my note: this dessert contains uncooked eggs).
Serves 8 -10 depending on the size of glass used