MOUSSE & MOUSSELINE

 

MOUSSE & MOUSSELINE

MOUSSE

 

The cold mousse is a delicacy that is sure to delight the eye and please the palate as well. A mousse can be defined as a mixture of cooked ingredients, pureed and held together with gelatin, veloute sauce, mayonnaise or aspic jelly, then enriched with cream and sometimes flavored with wine. The mousse is always served cold, very often attractively moulded.

 

A mousse is made with cooked meat, fish, poultry and nowadays, increasingly with vegetables. The method of preparation is the same for all recipes, whatever the ingredients used. The ingredients are first pureed, and then mixed with a binding agent like gelatin. Then cream and seasoning are blended in. Mousse is often served on the cold buffet and at times for luncheon.

 

Components of mousse 

 

Mousses have 3 basic components –

1. BASE – can be a meat, fish, cheese or vegetables. The base provide flavor, color, body and character to the product.

2. BINDER – provides structure to the finished product. This can be done by the inclusion of gelatin or aspic jelly which will set as the mousse is chilled. A flavorful fat will also contribute to the structure of the cold mousse.

3. AERATION – the lightening of the mousse by adding a component which introduces air into the mixture. Whipped cream works well giving it a richer texture. Whipped egg whites add lightness without adding extra fat to the mousse. This results in a leaner mousse.

 

METHODS OF PREPARATION

 

1.      MOLDS- molds should be prepared first to ensure that the mold can molded before it sets. Individual molds such as ramekins or small timbales should be lined either with aspic jelly. Decorations may be inlaid. When the mold is unmolded it is the finished product both coated and decorated.

 

2.      BASE- base preparation is the next step. Fully cook the base product. Do not overcook it will result in a dry product. The base product should be pureed. The consistency can be corrected by veloute, mayonnaise, béchamel, sour cream or cream. The resulting puree should have a smooth velvety texture. The pureed mixture should be put through a fine sieve to make it refined.

 

 

3.      BINDER – the gelatin has to be weighed according to the proportion

 

4.      AERATION – will require the whipping of either cream or egg whites to a soft peak.

 

 

5.      WHISKING- whisk the binder into the base and the binder should beat room temperature for this step.

 

6.      FOLD- fold the aeration agent into the binder mixture. If the base is too thick or cold, the aeration will be deflated before it is worked into the mousse. Mold the mousse before it starts to set. The molded mousse should be allowed to chill overnight.

 

The characteristics of a well made mousse are –

· Velvety smooth texture
· Light and airy with no air pockets
· A delicate but distinctive flavor

 

 

 

MOUSSELINE

 

Mousseline is made out of a combination of uncooked meat that are pureed and bound with egg white and sometimes cream. They are set by cooking.

 

Normally, the forcemeat for a mousseline is made out of fish. The raw fish is processed along with egg white to a fine paste. Seasoning and a little cream can be incorporated towards the end of the procesing. The mixture may be flavored with herbs like dill and parsley. It is then spooned into moulds like a timbale and then covered and steamed until the mixture has set. Mousseline can be served hot or chilled in the refrigerator and then serve cold. Fish like salmon, trout, sole and other light white fish are normally used. Shell- fish like crab, shrimp, prawn and lobster are also popular. Mousseline is a good way to use p trimmings and left overs while pre- preparing fish. Besides fish, other ingredients like ham can also be used to make mousseline. Small timbales of mousseline can also be used as an accompaniment of the main course and also to decorate the cold meat platters that are set out on a buffet presentation.

 

Mousseline style is the fourth type of farce. The most distinctive characteristic of this method is the type of fat that is used in its preparation. The use of cream as the source of fat, combined with the processing of the components to an ultra fine consistency, results in an extremely light and smooth product. This product is in sharp contrast to that produced using the harder types of fat.

 

 

Preparation

 

Mousseline –style forcemeats are made using lean white or light meats and fish. Chicken, rabbit, shellfish, sole and trimmed lean pork fillet is ideal to use. Although a panada is not needed for additional binding for this type of forcemeat, one is occasionally added to achieve a lighter consistency. Due to the delicate nature of the meats and the cream, the seasoning to should be very delicate. Care must be taken not to overpower the flavors of the components of the forcemeat.  Shallots, ground white pepper and white wine can be used.

 

 

Difference Between Mousse and Mousseline

 

Mousse:

 

1.      A mousse is soft prepared food that incorporates air bubbles to give it a light and airy texture.

2.      It can range from light and fluffy to creamy and thick, depending on the preparation techniques.

3.      A mousse may be sweet or savory.

4.      Sweet mousses are typically made with whipped egg whites or whipped cream, and flavored with one or more of chocolate, coffee, caramel, puréed fruits, or different herbs and spices.

5.      Savory mousses are made from meat, fish, shellfish, foie gras, cheese, or vegetables. Hot mousses often get their light texture from the addition of beaten egg whites. It is sometimes stabilized with gelatin.

 

 

Mousseline:

 

1.      Mousseline may be used either for a sauce or for a type of fabric. 

2.      Sauce Mousseline is also known as Sauce Chantilly, is produced by folding whipped cream into hollandaise sauce.

3.      Mousseline is also used for a very fine, semi-opaque fabric that is similar to muslin. It is a cotton fabric of plain weave.