Godiva Chocolate Challenge #2 - Chilli Chocolate Mousse with Raspberry and Lime Italian Meringue

This year's entry to the Godiva Chocolate Challenge - an added incentive to submit this before tonight's deadline is that Godiva are very generously donating a fiver to Breast Cancer Awareness for each entry. After last year's challenge, I know the standard will be ridiculously high, so here is my humble attempt.

Chocolate Chilli Mousse with Raspberry and Lime Italian Meringue

 

Prep Time: 1 hour plus 1 hour chilling
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For the chilli chocolate mousse:

120 g Godiva dark chocolate callets
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp chilli powder
4 tbsp milk
2 eggs, separated
1 tbsp caster sugar

For the raspberry coulis:

200 g fresh raspberries
50 g caster sugar
50 ml water

For the meringue:

2 egg whites
Juice 1 lime
120 g caster sugar
60 ml water

Method:
 
First make the chilli chocolate mousse:

Melt the chocolate callets in a heatproof bowl over a bowl of simmering water. Stir gently until smooth.

Combine the milk, cocoa powder and chilli powder into a smooth paste and add to the melted chocolate, stirring well.

Beat the egg yolks and add to the chocolate mixture. Cook this gently over the simmering water for about five minutes until thick, stirring all the time.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until there are soft peaks, then add the sugar and whisk until glossy. Gently fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon.

Divide this mousse mixture into four cocktail or wine glasses, or glass ramekins, and chill for about an hour.                           

 Next, prepare the raspberry coulis:

In a small saucepan, put the raspberries, water and sugar, and bring to the boil.

Simmer for about 10-15 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Strain the coulis so you get a thin dark pink coulis, and set aside.

Finally, prepare the Italian meringue:

Make the sugar syrup by placing the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stirring constantly until it boils. Allow it to boil for about five minutes.

While the syrup is bubbling, whisk the egg whites with the lime juice until you get soft peaks.

Slowly pour in the hot syrup and keep whisking until you get the correct consistency - stiff peaks.

At the very end of whisking, add about a teaspoon of the raspberry coulis to turn the meringue a light pink colour.

Once the mousse has set, pipe the meringue on top, and drizzle some of the remaining coulis around the side of the dish.
 

 

 

Good luck to all the entrants and most of all, thanks to Godiva for their generous donations to Breast Cancer Awareness.

The final takes place on 13th October, where four finalists will have their dessert - chocolate, meringue, and ... a touch of pink, judged by Mark Hix, William Sitwell, and Gizzi Erskine.

The winning dessert will be served at Hix Selfridges for a week!

Indonesian Coconut Chicken - Recipe

As ever, for dinner, I wanted something quick and delicious, and had a few leftovers to use up. An opened packet of mini chicken fillets, the most of a can of coconut milk and a spanking new ScanPanCTX to try out.

I found a recipe in a little book called Step-by-Step Indonesian Cooking, which I brought back from Bali, about a million years ago. I just needed an inspiration so this one for Beef in Toasted Coconut appealed:

As I only had about half the ingredients, and a few other things I wanted to use, it was time to devise my own recipe. Here, my friends, is Indonesian Coconut Chicken. You Are Welcome.

Indonesian Coconut Curry

Serves 2

Prep Time:

Cook Time:

Ingredients:

6-8 mini chicken fillets

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lemon rind, grated

2 cm piece ginger, chopped

1-2 chillies, chopped

2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp palm sugar (or demerrera)

1 tin coconut milk (a little less will do)

oil for cooking

handful peanuts, chopped

3-4 tsp desiccated coconut

sprinkle of fresh coriander, chopped

Method:

Place the coconut milk in a bowl and add the garlic, lemon rind, ginger, chillies, ground coriander and turmeric, palm sugar, and the chicken. Marinate for as long as you wish, but 15 minutes is fine. Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan and drop the chicken in. Fry off gently until the chicken is cooked. Let the sauce to reduce but don't let it get dry.

Once the chicken is cooked, add the desiccated coconut and toss it through. This will toast the coconut and add a lovely texture.

Serve on a bed of rice, garnished with chopped peanuts and fresh coriander.

Ruby Murray Curry

The best thing about food blogging is other food blogs. Love them. Always an inspiration, always something you need at just the right time. The first night back after our Spanish holiday (yes, I've been away - what, you didn't notice?!) nothing else would do but a curry. And for some reason, it had to be a Ruby Murray from Dishoom. It was a yearning. It had to be made. 

I found the recipe on The Food I Eat, written by an East London food blogger, with unending knowledge of the London food scene, restaurants, recipes and all the latest trends. She was sent the recipe for Chicken Ruby Murray by Dishoom themselves, after visiting their Southbank Pop-up a couple of years back.

It's relatively easy and doesn't take long, though I did have all the ingredients in my store cupboard. Although I do need a new bay tree... I may have left it simmer a little too long as the sauce reduced a bit too much, but the delicate flavours and tender chicken were just what I needed after landing back to the cool rain of London town. 

It's delish. Make it. I certainly will again.

Ruby Murray. Recipe by The Food I Eat. 

Oh, and speaking of food blogs, I was delighted to be included in an infographic by Rebatezone, a website which offers coupons, discounts and offers on shopping, and has collated their Top 50 Food Blogs in the UK. There I am at Number 39! That's me! Thanks folks!

Lots of lovely food blogs to read now...

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