Smoked Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Chop chocolate

Place the chopped dark chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.

Warm dairy

In a medium saucepan, combine the whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream. Heat over medium until just simmering (small bubbles at the edges), then remove from heat.

Temper egg yolks

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar until smooth and slightly pale, about 1–2 minutes. Slowly stream 1/3 of the hot milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper and avoid curdling.

Cook custard

Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture. Cook over low–medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of the spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C) — about 4–6 minutes. Do not boil.

Combine with chocolate

Pour the hot custard over the chopped chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute to soften, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Stir in the unsalted butter and salt until fully incorporated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the surface of the chocolate custard to prevent a skin, and refrigerate until chilled — about 1.5–2 hours.

Whip cream

Chill a mixing bowl and whisk or paddle for 10 minutes in the freezer if possible. Pour the cold 1.5 cups heavy cream into the bowl with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Whip to medium peaks (soft–medium hold).

Fold together

Remove the chilled chocolate custard from the refrigerator. Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the custard to lighten it, using a rubber spatula. Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream until uniform and no streaks remain. Work gently to preserve air.

Portion

Divide the mousse into 6 (6–8 oz) serving glasses or ramekins, filling them nearly to the top, leaving a small gap for garnish.

Prepare smoker or smoking gun

If using a smoking gun: place the filled mousse glasses on a tray and loosely cover with a dome or large inverted bowl. Load the gun with a small amount of wood chips (apple, cherry, or pecan recommended) and generate smoke for 20–30 seconds, then seal for 2–3 minutes to let smoke infuse. If using a stovetop smoking method: heat a small piece of foil with a handful of wood chips until smoking, then place it in a heatproof bowl and invert the dessert container over the bowl for 2–3 minutes. Keep exposure light to avoid overpowering the chocolate.

Season and garnish

After removing the dome, sprinkle a very small pinch (about 1/8–1/4 tsp total across all servings) of smoked sea salt over the mousse. Garnish each portion with a light scattering of cocoa nibs or shaved chocolate.

Chill before serving

Return the plated mousse to the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes after smoking to let flavors meld and stabilize. Serve chilled. Leftovers can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days (smoke aroma will fade).