Coconut-Lime Chocolate Mousse (French × Thai)
An egg-free mousse of coconut-milk chocolate ganache folded with whipped cream, brightened with lime zest and topped with toasted coconut.
Method
Toast the coconut in a small dry pan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for , until the edges turn light golden and it smells nutty. Tip it straight onto a plate to cool; left in the pan it burns in seconds.
Add in this stepDesiccated coconut (unsweetened) 10 g
medium-low heatChop the chocolate finely and put it in a bowl. Shake the coconut milk can well, pour the milk into a small pot and warm it over medium heat for , until small bubbles appear at the edge; don't let it boil. Pour it over the chocolate, leave for 1 minute, then stir from the centre outwards into a glossy ganache.
Add in this stepDark chocolate (55–70% cocoa) 100 gFull-fat coconut milk 80 ml
medium heatFinely grate just the green zest of the lime into the ganache (keep a little back for the top) and stir in the salt. Leave at room temperature for , until it feels neither cold nor warm on your finger (about 25 °C) but is still pourable.
Add in this stepLime (for zest) ½Salt 1 pinch
Whisk the cold cream with the sugar for , to soft peaks that gently bend over.
Add in this stepWhipping cream, cold 100 mlCaster sugar 10 g
Fold the whipped cream into the ganache in two additions, lifting from the bottom with a spatula, and stop as soon as the colour is even. If the ganache is still warm, it melts the cream and the mousse stays runny.
Divide into 2 × 150 ml glasses, cover and refrigerate for at least . Just before serving, scatter over the toasted coconut and the reserved lime zest.
Cook's tip
Use full-fat coconut milk, not light, or the mousse won't set firmly. Use only the zest, not the juice: lime juice can make the cream split. Grate lightly, as the white pith underneath is bitter.
Cooking it at camp
Make it at home in lidded cups and carry it in a cooler; bring the toasted coconut in a separate bag and sprinkle it on just before eating. Keep it below 5 °C and eat it on the first day.