When we first conjured up the notion of this dessert, we weren’t sure if people would go for the chocolate and basil combination in the mousse. But apparently everyone else dug the combination—the basil’s minty quality freshens up the chocolate taste—as much as we did: we couldn’t make these fast enough. When the scorching Crescent City summer rolled around, the kitchen got so hot and humid that the meringues wouldn’t bake properly (they need dry heat to crisp up), so we had to take them off the menu. We still like to make them from time to time when the temperature finally decides to drop.
The chocolate mousse can be made up to one day ahead.
The “ribbon stage” refers to sugar and eggs that are whipped together until thick and pale. When the whisk is raised, the mixture should fall slowly in thick ribbons that sink back into the batter.
