White Chocolate and Strawberry Pudding

by Rob Rees, the Cotswold Chef

Ingredients
275ml Milk
4 Egg Yolks
100g Fairtrade Caster Sugar
1 Split Vanilla Pod or 2 drops of Vanilla Essence
250g Divine White Chocolate with Strawberry
150ml Whipping Cream
3 Leaves Gelatine

Method
1. Place the gelatine leaves into a bowl and cover with cold water. Leave them to soak.
2. Cut the chocolate into small pieces and place into a large mixing bowl. This will help it to melt quicker later on.
3. In a mixing bowl stir together the egg yolks and sugar with a whisk.
4. Place the milk and vanilla into a thick-bottomed saucepan and put onto a medium heat.
5. When the milk begins to boil pour it onto the egg yolk and sugar mixture.
6. Stir it well and then pour back into the saucepan.
7. Return it to the stove on a low heat and stir with a spoon.
8. Continue to stir until the “custard “ mix thickens. You know it is ready when it coats the back of the spoon. Do not over heat, as you will have scrambled eggs!
9. As soon as it is ready strain the custard mixture onto the white chocolate.
10. Stir the white chocolate and custard with a spoon until the chocolate has completely melted and mixture is smooth.
11. Drain away the excess water from the gelatine and place the now soft leaves into a small saucepan.
12. On a very low heat gently warm the gelatine until it starts to melt.
13. Once completely melted pour it into the chocolate mix and stir well.
14. Allow the chocolate custard to cool.
15. Using a whisk whip up the cream until it is fairly stiff and holds a “figure of 8”- this is commonly known as “stiff peak”.
16. Gently stir the cream into the chocolate custard.
17. Pour the mixture into glasses or suitable moulds and place in a fridge till set.
18. If you are not serving in a glass you can turn out your mousse by running under warm water and loosening the mousse from the edges of the mould with the point of a knife.
19. Garnish with Fresh Berries and your favourite sauce.

About the Chef

Rob Rees

Rob Rees MBE is The Cotswold Chef. He has a passion for indulging everyone in the revolution in British food and farming. The culinary path to success of the Cotswold Chef has been based on sound training at Westminster College, Le Gavroche and the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath. Rob’s own former restaurant, The Country Elephant, won AA, Good Food Guide and Michelin status and he is well known within Cotswolds’ society for exclusive dinner party provision.

  The Cotswold Chef Website