After a long winter of heartier fare, springtime invites a lighter palate. In homage to  Guillaume Tirel  ~’Taillevent’, François Pierre La Varenne, Marie – Antoine Carème, and Auguste Escoffier, the Kings of French cuisine, this French inspired menu is one your guests will savor. My general rule is to never duplicate textures on a menu.  However, each of the mousse recipes listed are served with a different consistency.

Chilled Vichyssoise

With Chive Croutons and Chive Mousse

Reva Paul’s Salmon Mousse with Cucumbers

Poached Pear and Peach, Roasted Pecan, Salad Vert, Vinaigrette

Frozen White Coffee Mousse

Lemon Petit Fours

Dark Chocolate Rose Petal Truffles

Brie and Fruit

Ladurée Marie Antoinette ~ China Black Té Rose Petals, Citrus Fruits and Honey

 Bigelow ~ Earl Grey Green

Mariage Freres ~ Verbena Citrodora Tisane

Café au Lait

Chilled Vichyssoise with Chive Croutons and Reva Paul’s Chive Mousse 

Ingredients:

• 4 medium White potatoes, skins removed and cut into quarters;
• 4 tablespoons Butter, unsalted;
• 1 medium Onion, finely chopped;
• 4 tablespoons Chives, finely chopped;
• 2 Leeks,  bulb whites only; 3 stalks Celery, finely chopped;
• 2 cups Chicken Stock or Bone Broth;
• 2 cups Nonfat Lactaid Milk or whole milk;
• 1 tablespoon Dried Thyme; 1
•  Bay leaf; 1/2 teaspoon salt;
• 1/4 teaspoon black or white pepper

 Preparation: Place potatoes in a large pot filled with water over high heat. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. (About 15 minutes) Drain the liquid out of the pot. In a separate 6-quart pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add butter and cook until melted. Next add onions, chives, leeks and celery. Sauté for a few minutes until the onions appear translucent and the celery is softened. Add the cooked potatoes to the onion mixture, along with the chicken stock, milk, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir all together and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.

Remove the soup pot from the heat and discard the bay leaf. Then puree the soup mixture with an emulsifier or blender. (If using blender, make sure to cover and blend in small batches or you will have hot soup overflowing out of the blender.) Allow the soup to cool down, then place in a container and chill in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to serve, add finely chopped chives with chive mousse and croutons (see recipes below). Optional garnish with an edible flower. If you would like to serve hot: reheat over a low flame then add finely chopped chives with chive mousse and crouton.

Chive Croutons:

Ingredients: 1- loaf French baguette, sliced, ( with ends removed from loaf); Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 tablespoon Dried Chives, ground.

 Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place baguette slices on parchment-covered baking sheet in a single layer and brush slices with olive oil. Then sprinkle finely ground chives on top of bread slices.  Place baking sheet with prepared slices in oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until crisp. (If bread is stale it may crisp up quicker.) Removed cooled crouton slices and set aside in tightly covered container until ready to use.

Reva Paul’s Chive Mousse Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Unflavored gelatin; 1/4 cup Boiling Water;1 large Egg yolk; 1cup Heavy Cream, whipped; 2 large Egg Whites, beaten util stiff,  ¼ teaspoon ground Nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon White Pepper; Salt to taste; 1/4 cup Chives, minced; Optional 3 drops Green food coloring.

Preparation: In small bowl, add gelatin and boiling water. Stir together until the gelatin is dissolved (about 5 minutes). In a separate medium sized bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. In another medium bowl beat egg yolks with a fork or whisk. Add the whipped cream, gelatin mixture and gently fold together. Next, fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites into the whipped cream mixture. Add nutmeg, white pepper, salt and chives and gently fold in until blended together. If you wish for the mousse to have a green hue, you may fold in a few drops of green food coloring to the mixture. Spread the mixture into a shallow pan and let congeal in the refrigerator. When the mousse has firmed up, spread on small round croutons to float on top of Vichyssoise. Served this way at the Plaza~ Athénée in Paris, August 1985

  Reva Paul’s SALMON MOUSSE 

Vegetable Stock: 2 large onions;, chopped; 2 medium carrots, cleaned, peeled , chopped; 3 stalks of celery hearts, chopped; Salt and pepper to taste Cut all of the vegetables into large pieces. Place all of the ingredients into a large stockpot. Cover with water.  Bring to a boil. Turn the heat to a medium heat to simmer for one hour.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a mesh strainer to remove the vegetables.  Set aside the liquid stock. Yield 4 Cups of stock.

 Reva Paul’s Salmon: Mousse: 2 lbs. salmon, fillet; 2 Tablespoons of no flavor gelatin; 2 cups of vegetable stock for poaching;½ cup of vegetable stock; 1 cup boiling vegetable stock; ¾ cups Mayonnaise or nonfat plain Greek yogurt; 1 Tablespoon Lea & Perrins sauce; 1 teaspoons lemon juice; Salt and pepper, to taste; ½ pint heavy cream, whipped

Poach the salmon in 2 cups of vegetable stock. Once cooked through, in a large bowl mince the salmon and set aside.  In a separate bowl soak, the gelatin in ½ cup of cold vegetable stock until soft. Add 1 cup of boiling vegetable stock, stirring until all is dissolved. Add the mayonnaise or yogurt, minced salmon, salt and pepper to taste.  Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks. Fold in the whipped cream.  Turn into a food mold or half cup ramekins. Chill until firm. Serve with cucumber dill sauce. Optional: garnish platter with roasted asparagus spears, marinated artichoke hearts, deviled eggs, radishes.. To remove the mousse set in a shallow bath of warm water for a minute to loosen from the mold and gently run a knife around the inside edges to turn out onto a serving dish.

 Cucumber Sauce:1-pint sour cream or nonfat plain Greek yogurt; ½ cup mayonnaise or nonfat plain Greek yogurt; 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice; 1 Tablespoon chives or dill*, minced; 2 Tablespoons parsley, minced; Salt, pepper and onion powder to taste; 1 large cucumber, grated and drained

 In a large bowl mix all ingredients together.  Add grated cucumber. Blend together. (* Use chives or dill, but not both). If more sauce is desired double the recipe.

Frozen White Coffee Mousse 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. coffee beans;  4 cups milk ,whole or nonfat Lactaid;

6 egg yolks; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 Tablespoons gelatin dissolved in 1/4 cup of water;

2 cups heavy cream, whipped; 6 egg whites, stiffly beaten

 Preparation: Heat coffee beans with 4 cups of milk for 20 minutes on a low heat. Strain and measure 3 cups of milk. Beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup of sugar and stir in hot milk.  Place mixture in a pan and stir constantly until thick. DO NOT allow to boil. Remove from heat and add softened gelatin.  Stir until gelatin dissolves and chill.  When thickened, fold in 2 cups of whipped cream and stiffly beaten egg whites. Cover with cellophane and freeze at least 4 hours or overnight. Decorate with whipped cream, shaved chocolate, berries, toffee bits and or chopped nuts. Serves: 12.  May also be served in a champagne or sherry glass. This is also an afternoon tea fourth course in lieu of a trifle or pudding.

 ROSE INFUSED CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE 

1/4 cup sweet, unsalted butter, chopped; 1/3 cup heavy cream;

7 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped; 2 tablespoons edible Rose Petals, plus ¼ for garnish; 2 tablespoons Rose Water; Unsweetened cocoa powder

In an open double boiler combine butter and cream.  Do not allow the bottom of the double boiler to touch the water in the lower pan. On a low heat melt the butter and the cream  until bubbles form  around the edge. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate stirring until chocolate melts. Stir until smooth. Mix in rose petals and rose water. Cover with cellophane and chill in the refrigerator until firm. Roll into balls. Roll balls in cocoa. Garnish with additional rose petals.  Set each truffle into a candy cup.  Refrigerate in airtight container. Will hold for two weeks. YIELD: approximately 40 Truffles.

©Ellen Easton ~ All Rights Reserved