Recipes
Drunken Elephant Chocolate Mousse|Weston Table

Sweet Things

Drunken Elephant Chocolate Mousse
If a safari is on your bucket list, we throw in Nomad, London-based Tanzanian travel professionals to plan and execute what could be the greatest adventure you  ever take. As we travelled from camp to camp during the great migration, and then flew to Greystoke Mahale to trek chimpanzees, Nomad fed us fresh, delicious, and professionally made breakfasts, lunches, and dinners whether we were in camp, taking a break in the grasses of the Serengeti, or hiking up mountains and over streams in hopes of finding troops of our closest living relatives. While most of the foods were tailored to western tastes, once in awhile a surprise dish surfaced at our communal tables. Amarula, a South African liqueur, has a sweet taste with Bailey's Irish Cream consistency. Made from marula, a sweet and tart fruit rumored to drive elephants mad and have them acting very much as if intoxicated. While little scientific evidence supports that elephants have ever eaten the 1400 well-fermented fruit needed to actually give the mammoth a buzz, it is fun folklore. One glorious starry, starry night along the shores of Lake Tanganyika, the chef served us Amarula chocolate mousse and shared the story of drunken elephants. This recipe honors our fond memories and creates an opportunity to share safari stories with friends and family long after our return from a place with lands and people that will forever have a piece of our hearts.
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cuisine American
cuisine French
difficulty Easy
serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (plus a bit more for sprinkling just before serving)
  • 6 ounces milk chocolate, chopped
  • 1/4 cup espresso coffee, cold
  • 1/3 cup Amarula liqueur
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 extra-large organic egg yolks, room temperature
  • 5 extra-large organic egg whites, room temperature
  • Kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream, cold
  • 1/3 cup sugar

Instructions

  1. Place the chocolates, and espresso in a double boiler over simmering water.
  2. Heat just until the chocolates melt, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.
  3. Off the heat, whisk in the Amarula and vanilla and set aside to cool for 15 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolks, one at a time, until combined.
  4. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the egg whites and a pinch of salt until the whites form soft peaks.
  5. Whisk half of the egg whites into the room temperature chocolate mixture. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the remaining egg whites using a rubber spatula.
  6. Without cleaning the bowl or whisk, beat the cream and sugar together on high speed until they form soft peaks. Gently fold the cream into the chocolate mixture until there are no white streaks (make certain that when folding the spatula goes all the way to the bottom of the bowl).
  7. Pour the mixture into serving bowls, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  8. Just before serving sprinkle a bit of finely chopped chocolate over the bowls.

Kitchen Notes

Amarula is easily sourced in a local package store. Good quality chocolate such as Valrhona or Callebaut will make for a more luxurious mousse.
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