(for 6)
This is a recipe I came across about three years ago and cooked a lot at that time.
I had forgotton about it until last week when I remembered it and decided to try it again.
It was well worth trying, it is the best and most intense chocolate mousse recipe, the flavour of the dark chocolate not at all compromised by the oil as it would have been by the cream.
Go for a chocolate which has a high cocoa butter count and if you can come across one flavoured with orange it also works well.
Below is the recipe exactly as I wrote it three years ago, the only change I would make is not to necessarily rule out the cream at the end, a little unwhipped cream poured on at the end does make a nice contrast to the mousse.

No it doesn’t taste the least oily.

I first came across this in a book called
” What Einstein told his Cook” by Robert Wolke which is a book about the chemistry of cooking.
I didn’t have the courage to try it until I came across a similar recipe in Dennis Cotter’s (Of Cafe Paradiso in Cork) latest book.
It works beautifully and tastes much more intensely of chocolate than any other I’ve tried.

175g(6oz) Good Dark Chocolate
140 mls (5 fluid oz.) Olive oil
4 large Eggs
140 g (5 oz.) Light Brown Sugar
( A tablespoon of Orange Liqueur,Brandy or Whiskey are pleasant additions)

Put the chocolate with the olive oil into a jug and put it into a microwave at mediun for 3 to 5 mts until completely melted.

Separate the eggs and put them in separate bowls.
Put half the sugar in with the yolks.
Beat the yolks first with the sugar until they turn thick and creamy.
Wash the beaters then beat the whites until stiff. Add the remaining sugar a tablespoon at a time until they are stiff and shiney.
Stir the chocolate and oil mixture well together and then stir in the yolks.
(Add the alcohol at this stage if you are using it)
Fold in the whites carefully until all patches of white disappear ( but don’t over mix.)
Spoon this either into one serving bowl or four individual glasses.
Leave to set in the fridge for 3 to 4 hours.
No need for cream with this.