Fresh Strawberry Mousse

'Tis the season for fresh strawberries and I've got a stack of recipes calling for strawberries that I'm hoping to work through this Spring.

Mousse of any kind is a love of mine.  They are light, fluffy and delicate.  Let's see how this one turns out.  I hope this turns out with 'lush texture, real berry flavor', just like Cook's Illustrated boasts .

 Fresh strawberries, sugar, cream, gelatin, salt and cream cheese.

Simple enough ingredients.  The different ingredient that I don't usually see in a lot of mousse recipes is the cream cheese.  It's used as a fortifier, body provider and to lend a little bit of a subtle twang.

Dice 1/4 cup worth of strawberries and set in the refrigerator.  These will be your garnish.

 The rest of the strawberries will be roughly chopped in the food processor

Toss the processed strawberries in a bowl with 1/4 cup of the sugar. 

 Add the salt, cover the bowl and let the strawberries macerate for 45 minutes.

Strain the strawberries through a fine sieve.  You should have about 2/3 cup of juice.



 Put 3 Tbsp. of the juice in a tiny bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top of it.  Let it soften for about 5 minutes.



The remaining juice is cooked down to 3 Tbsp.

 
Once reduced removed from heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture, whisking until dissolved.  




Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth.  



Pour this mixture into a large bowl.


 

Return the macerated berries to the processor bowl to pureé

Run the strawberry pureé through a fine mesh strainer or a food mill like I did.

 

I personally think that the strainer would remove more of the tiny seeds.  The food mill allowed a lot to get through although it did not compromise the mousse in my opinion.

Whip the cream until you have soft peaks






Add the remaining sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks have formed.


 

Combine the strained berries and the cream cheese mixture

Whisk the whipped cream into the berry mixture


 

until no white streaks remain

Divide the mousse into dessert dishes and chill for at least 4 hours.  Garnish with your reserved chopped berries.



Fresh Strawberry Mousse
Serves 4 to 6
Adapted from the May/June 2014 issue of Cook's Illustrated

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh strawberries (6-1/2 cups)
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
pinch of salt
1-3/4 tsp unflavored gelatin (one 1/4 oz. envelope)
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream

Mise en Place

• wash and hull strawberries
• Measure out sugar
• measure out salt and gelatin
• cut cream cheese into 8 pieces and allow to soften
• measure out cream and place in refrigerator until ready to use

Method:
Cut enough strawberries into 1/4-inch dice to measure one cup; refrigerate until ready to use as garnish.  In the bowl of a food processor pulse the remaining strawberries in two batches.  Pulse each batch 6-10 times so that your strawberries are in 1/4-inch pieces.  Don't clean the processor bowl or blade.  You're going to use it again.

Transfer the berries to a bowl and add 1/4 cup of the sugar and the salt.  Toss, cover and let macerate for 45 minutes; stirring periodically.

Strain the macerated berries through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.  You should have around 2/3 cup of juice.  Measure out 3 Tbsp. into a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin on top of juice.  Allow gelatin to soften for about 5 minutes.

Place the remaining juice in a small saucepan.  Over medium-high heat cook the juice until the juice is reduced to 3 Tbsp. (about 10 minutes). Remove the pan from the heat and add the softened gelatin. Stir until dissolved. Add the cream cheese and whisk until smooth. Transfer this mixture to a large bowl.

Return the macerated berries to the processor bowl and process until smooth, 15 to 20 seconds.  Strain the puree through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing on solids to remove seeds and pulp.  (You should have about 1-2/3 cups pureé).  Discard any solids that are left in the strainer..

In a bowl of stand mixer and using the whisk attachment, whip the cream on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute.  Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes.  Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 more minutes.

Whisk the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture until no white streaks remain.

Divide the mouse into dessert dishes and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 48 hours.  Serve, garnishing with the reserved diced strawberries.  If the mousse is chilled longer than 6 hours, let the mousse sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Smoked Salmon Mousse

This beautiful pastel colored mousse is so light and fluffy and it wows  every time it's served.

It can be served elegantly molded or casually in a simple bowl.  Either way the taste will impress.

The recipe is from a book called Party Food, Small and Savory by Barbara Kafka.  Barbara Kafka is a food journalist and has columns in the New York Times and Gourmet magazine.  I bought her book in the early '90's and over the years has come in handy whenever I need a recipe for hors d'oeuvres.

The essential ingredients are heavy cream (divided), smoked salmon, hot sauce, chives, fresh lemon juice, grated onion, salt and pepper.

A note on the salmon...since the salmon is going to be pureed I purchased salmon trim.  This was a little less expensive but did not compromise flavor in any way.  The trims are probably not as nice looking so as to decoratively display them on a serving tray; but they taste just as good.


Assemble all your ingredients.  Measure out and prep everything you can.






Process the salmon and the 1/2 cup of cream.



Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree.



Place the water and gelatin in a small saucepan and allow the gelatin to absorb the water.



Once absorbed slowly heat the gelatin until it is totally dissolved. Set aside and allow to cool. 


The remainder of the cream is whipped with the cooled gelatin and the flavorings added to it.  Then you'll lighten up the salmon mixture with some of the whipped cream.

The rest of the cream is gently folded into the salmon mixture.



Pour out the ice water in your mold but don't dry the mold.  Spoon the mousse into the mold, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1-1/2 hours or longer.

When ready to serve, unmold and serve with crackers or bread.  I like to serve mine with these canape breads.


Smoked Salmon Mousse
Recipe adapted from Party Food, Small and Savory by Barbara Kafka
Makes 40 hors d'oeuvres servings

Ingredients:
6-1/2 ounces smoked salmon
3 cups heavy cream, divided
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2-1/2 tsp. grated onion
3 Tbsp. water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin (1/4 ounce)
1 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
10 drops hot red pepper sauce
1/4 cup thin-sliced chives (see note)

If you are going to use a mold, prepare a 5 cup or larger mold by filling with ice water.  Set aside.

Divide cream into 1/2 cup and 2-1/2 cup portions.  Juice lemons.  Grate onion.  Thinly slice the chives.  (NOTE: if chives are unavailable use scallion greens, slicing lengthwise and then across).  Give the salmon a rough chop.

Place the 1/2 cup of cream and the salmon in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until smooth.  Transfer mixture to a blender and purée.  Set aside.

Place water in a small pan.  Add the gelatin and let it sit until absorbed.  Over low heat slowly heat the softened gelatin mixture until it is dissolved.  Remove the pan from heat and allow it to completely cool.

 Whip the 2-1/2 cups of cream until slightly soft peaks form.  Beat in the cooled gelatin mixture.  Stir in the lemon juice, onion, salt, pepper, red pepper sauce and chives.

Remove about 1/2 cup of the seasoned whipped cream and stir into the puréed salmon mixture to lighten it up.  Fold the rest of the whipped cream into the salmon mixture.

Empty the ice water from the mold but do not dry.  Spoon the salmon mousse into the mold.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-1/2 hours or until set.

When ready to serve, unmold by removing the plastic wrap and run a thin, flexible spatula around the edge of the mold (may not be necessary if the mousse has slightly separated from the edge of the mold).  Fill a mixing bowl, that is one size larger than the mold, with very hot water.  Carefully holding the mold by the rim, dip into the bowl of hot water and hold for  5 seconds to loosen.

Place the serving dish on top of the mold and invert the mold.  Tuck curly leaf parsley around the outer edges of the mousse on the platter.  Sprinkle mousse with chopped chives.