Definition: Mousse is a French
term meaning “foam‟ is applied to dishes with a foamy texture, usually cold and
often sweet but also savoury and soft.
It is light smooth and soft preparation either sweet
or savoury, in which the ingredients are whisked or blended and folded together
and are more often, then not, lightened with beaten egg whites.
Savoury mousses are served as
an hors d‟ oeuvre or entrée, it may be served hot and may be based on fish,
shellfish poultry, foie-gras, ham etc.
Sweet mousse is usually based
on fruit or flavouring such as chocolate or coffee. They are often set in
individual moulds and are served cold. They may be stabilised using gelatine or
Gum tragacanth may be substituted for gelatine.
For the gardemanger
chef, mousse is a fully cooked basic ingredient which is pureed, bound with
gelatine or fat and lightened with an aerator of whipped cream or egg whites.
The term is also used to describe preparations which are either hot or cold,
for which the basic structures remains the same.
PREPERATION
Hot Mousse or cold mousse has three basic components:
v Base: The base can be Poultry, ham,
Meat, fish, shellfish, foigras truffle, vegetables, etc. the base provides
flavour, colour, body and character to the finished product.
v Binder: This provides the structure to the
finished product. This is done by the inclusion of aspic jelly or gelatine
which will set as the finished product is chilled, or cold flavourful fat such
as butter, will also contribute to the same.
v Aeration: The
lightening of the mousse which is accomplished with whipped cream and/or
whipped egg whites. Whipped egg white adds lightness without increasing the calories much.
v The usual
proportion of the basic components would be 1 kg of base: 30 gms of gelatine
+ 1 cup of water :
750 gms of prepared aeration.
Recipe of fish Mousse (HOT)
Pound 500 gms, fish fillets in a mortar sprinkle with
fine salt and freshly ground pepper, then blend in 2-3 egg whites. Rub this
forcemeat through a sieve and refrigerate fill almost setting. At this stage
add thick fresh cream. Adjust seasonings, pour mousse into lightly oiled mould,
cover and secure, then poach gently in a bain-marie in the oven at 190o
(375° f). Wait for ten minutes before turning out, serve warm, coated with fish
sauce.
Making of cold Mousse
Preparing a
cold mousse is a tricky affair and requires the service of a skilled chef.
However, if
these below mentioned seven steps are followed it will minimize the risk.
1. Moulds – should be prepared first to ensure
that the mousse can be moulded before it sets. Individual moulds, such as
ramekins or small timbales should be lubricated or lined in a manner consistent
with the character of the mousse. Lining means coating the moulds with a thin
layer of aspic jelly. Decorations are laid on the layer of aspic jelly and the
mousse mixture is poured into moulds. When the mousse is unmolded, it is a
finished product both coated and decorated. Alternately it could be moulded,
allowed to set, then turned out and coated or garnished, as needed.
2. Base: - Preparation of the base is the
next step. Fully cooking the base product is mandatory; however, overcooking
will result in a dry texture and poor mouth feel. The base product should then
be pureed. The consistency of the pureed mixture can be adjusted with one of
the following items: Veloute, mayonnaise, béchamel, cream or some similar
product. The resulting puree should have a smooth, velvety texture. If cream is used it must be added near the
end of the puree process to avoid breaking the cream. The puree should be
slightly over seasoned to allow for the aeration which will be added. For the
highest quality preparations the pureed mixture should be put through a fine
sieve. Modern equipment replaces hand sieving.
3. Binder: The amount
of gelatine to be added with be proportional to the amount of base to be set.
The liquid to be added is limited only by what is suitable to the character of
the mouse and the setting power of the gelatine. Rehydrate the dry gelatine by
sprinkling it evenly into the cool liquid. Allow sufficient time for the
gelatine granules to absorb the liquid (bloom) then place the bloomed gelatine
over a bain marie until melted.
4. Wisk: The binder into the base, both the
base and the binder should be at room temp for this step.
1.
AERATION: Will
require the whipping of either cream or egg whites or both whipped separately
to soft peaks.
2.
Fold: the
aeration into the base/ binder mixture. If the base mixture is to thick or
cold, the aeration will be deflated.
3.
Mould: the mouse
before it starts to set. The
characteristics of a well made mouse are:-
1.
Velvety smooth texture
2.
Light and airy consistency which is not heavy or
rubbery no airpockets.
3.
A delicate but distinctive flavour
If a mouse mixture is moulded into multi portion
terrines or timbales, resulting item is referred to as a Mouse. If the mousse,
mixture is made richer by addition of cream and is moulded into single portion
timbales or moulds or shaped into quenelles, the resulting item is termed a Mousseline
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