Farewell dinner (1)

I'm having friends for dinner. This is a farewell dinner for my very good friends who are off to Buenos Aires tomorrow evening where he will serve as Sr Trade Commissioner.

They're coming home at around 8:30 pm. We will start on my deck with a well chilled bottle of Champagne Brut.

What's in the pans? Things they will not get there!

We start with with smoked duck breast tossed in a fresh salad seasoned with walnut oil and red wine vinegar.

Then we move into a hopefully delicious roasted veal in a simple creamy sauce, with glazed new carrots and Noirmoutier potatoes as a garnish.

One of my guests is vegetarian, so to compensate this meat-lover dinner, I have made something specially for her. It happens that she LOVES mousse au chocolat, and I am sharing my recipe with you.
You need:

6 FRESH eggs, 10 oz dark chocolate, 1/2 stick unsalted butter, 1/2 tsp salt, vanilla extract.

Cooking steps:

Separate the eggs; put the whites in a large bowl, add the salt and beat until very stiff. Put the yolks with the vanilla extract in another bowl. Melt the chocolate in a double boil over very low heat or in the microwave, stirring now and then so that it becomes very smooth and it does not burn or stick to the edge of your bowl. Be careful not to overheat! Chocolate can burn very quickly and your mousse will be spoiled! Once it is completely melted and it's creamy and smooth, start adding the butter in small pieces and stirring. Once it is very smooth, add the yolks stirring constantly so that they mix well.Now, take 2-3 Tbsp of the whites and blend very carefully into the chocolate mixture with a spoon. Don't use a wooden spoon or you'll flatten the whites! Take your time to do it.

Once it is smooth, pour carefully into the bowl where it is going to be served, or into individual bowls. I am presenting it in a celadon plate, I like the contrast of celadon with the dark brown of chocolate. Cover and keep in the fridge at least 6 hours.