Chocolate Nemesis
A slow dance between mousse and souffle, this flourless chocolate cake is rich but not too sweet. Named Nemesis (or Invidia in Italian) for the Ancient Greek goddess who enacted retribution on those who dared to show arrogance before the gods, Marco made it the first time he ever cooked for us. That friend who “doesn’t eat dessert”? Watch them melt.
CHOCOLATE NEMESIS RECIPE
Ingredients
350g of high quality dark chocolate
225g unsalted butter
5 eggs
300g of caster sugar
Raspberries or strawberries to serve
Method
Cooked in an oven, in a bain-marie or water bath.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 150 degrees
Line a 20cm x 20cm tray with greased baking paper
Roughly chop chocolate and butter into small pieces and combine in a metal bowl. Melt over simmering water, stirring continuously
Separate eggs, placing yokes in one bowl, whites in another. Whisk the yokes, adding 150g of sugar as they lighten. Continue to whisk until the mixture is pale, creamy and fluffy
Repeat with the egg whites and remaining sugar until they have the consistency of meringue; white, fluffy and thick
When the chocolate/butter mix has cooled, use a spatula to fold it into the yolk mix until completely blended. Gently fold in the egg whites, keeping as much air as you can
Pour the mixture into the tray, and place in a large deep oven dish. Partly fill oven dish with almost boiling water to create the bain-marie
Carefully place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until set, allowing the cake to cool in the dish of water. Turn the cake onto a chopping board or serving plate (no need to flip it over). Add a garnish of berries and a dusting of icing sugar to serve
Marco’s Tips
Be really gentle when folding the mixture together, keeping as much air as possible to ensure the cake is light and mousse-like when cooked.
Like it rich? Serve with white chocolate or salted caramel ice cream. Want it fresh? Serve with berry sorbet.