One tall 9-inch (23-cm) cake, 8 to 10 servings, or 8 goblets
David Lebovitz, the author of The Great Book of Chocolate, notes: "This recipe comes from Michael Lewis-Anderson, the brilliant chocolate stylist from Wittamer in Brussels, who swears he cannot make his parfait fast enough for chocolate lovers who come from all around the world for his superlative creations. When melting the chocolates, be sure that the bowls are thoroughly dry first. Just a drop of liquid can cause chocolate to become stiff and unmanageable. Since you are making three distinct mousse layers, whip all the cream in one bowl and then separate it into thirds, and do the same with the egg whites. For a change of pace, instead of serving the three mosses as a cake, divide the recipe in half and layer the three mousses in 8 tall wine goblets. They’re especially elegant when topped with shavings of dark, milk, and white chocolate, or perfect berries during the summer."
9 ounces [255 grams] bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
9 ounces [255 grams] white chocolate, chopped
2¼ cups [560 ml] heavy cream
9 large egg whites
Chocolate shavings
Lightly oil a 9 x 3-inch (23 x 7.5-cm) springform pan and set it on a serving platter.
In three separate medium-sized heatproof bowls, melt each chocolate successively over a saucepan of simmering water (you can use the same saucepan, just melt one after the other). Remove each chocolate from the heat and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
Whip the cream until it holds soft, droopy peaks. It should be relatively stiff but not dry and curdled. You should have about 6 cups (1½ liters) of whipped cream.
Making sure your chocolate is not hot, fold one-third of the whipped cream (about 2 cups [500 ml]) into the dark chocolate in two separate additions.
Divide the remaining whipped cream between the bowls of milk and white chocolate, then fold the cream into each.
In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until they are thick and hold their shape, but not dry.
Fold one-third of the egg-whites (about 2½ cups [625 ml]) into each chocolate mousse filling, folding until smooth.
Pour the dark chocolate mousse into the prepared cake pan and level the top. Add the milk chocolate mousse, spreading it over the dark chocolate mousse and leveling the top. (If the milk chocolate mousse seems thin, freeze the cake for about 30 minutes before adding the white chocolate mousse.)
Finally add the white chocolate mousse to the top. (It will seem thin, but that is fine.)
Chill the parfait cake for at least 6 hours, or freeze, before removing the sides of the cake pan. The cake should be sliced and served either chilled or frozen. Serve it with the chocolate shavings.
If you are concerned about serving uncooked egg whites, pasteurized egg whites are available in most grocery stores.
Photo © Christopher Hirsheimer
