Magic Mousse and sensational Pommard
Magic because it is does not contain anything which will make you fat and/or moody. By Kate
For someone whose career revolves around wine and food I am something of a freak. The list of what I don't eat is almost longer than the list of what I do and in an industry where eating a lot of all manner of foodstuffs is often part of the job, I stand out. In a very meaty region I will be the one nibbling, slightly mournfully, on a plate of overcooked vegetables while my companions tuck into wads of beef or lamb. If we are in a land of cream you will find me assiduously trying to avoid sauce contamination, butter and cheese while all around me positively wallow in the stuff.
I make no excuses for my tastes. The older I get, the more I appreciate feeling healthy and happy and if I eat certain things I simply don’t feel very good. Sometimes the effect is immediate, sometimes it's not until the day after, but sooner or later there will be a food hangover. And it won't be pretty.
Please note that Jude is a man and Northern and so is genetically programmed to disagree utterly with his wife on almost all matters, particularly those pertaining to lifestyle changes on his part. Given this, his views should in no way be taken as definitive.
Of course Pinot and good chocolate is not a new invention at all, but I thought it very satisfying that the combination worked just as well with a thoroughly contemporary, healthy, version of mousse.
So – top tip: Organic Pommard and chocolate mousse. Delicious! And, in the case of the mousse, not one to make you fat, moody or overly stuffed with toxins. The recipe is simple (these quantities made enough for about two smallish portions):
150 grams organic virgin, raw coconut oil
Melt the coconut oil (which I get solid, in jars) in a pan and mix in the coco power and the brown rice syrup until smooth. The brown rice syrup should balance out some of the chocolate bitterness here, but you are not aiming for an overtly sweet mixture.
Gently heat the almond milk with the dates, simmering together for 10 – 15 minutes, until the fruit is very soft. Remove from the heat and whizz in a blender or food processer till smooth. Add the chocolate to the mix. This can be flavoured with orange zest, cardomum, chilli – almost anything you like to have with chocolate flavour.
Pour into a suitable container, pop in the fridge and leave to set.
Have a few more sips of incredible wine to congratulate yourself on a job well done.
Voila! Not just a million times better for you than a conventional mousse but tastes incredible and is so simple that really, absolutely anyone could do it.
Have a few more sips of incredible wine to congratulate yourself on a job well done.
