Sous Chef made me drop the Bullwinkle and hair gel references. He even made me drop the opening lines of the Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever.” He said that strawberries are iconic and need no silly introduction, just a good method for letting their flavor and color sparkle. So much for my attempt at writing like Janet Evanovich!
Here in California, it seems like fresh strawberries are always available, and that is generally true since the growing season runs from January through November, although it peaks from April through June. Strawberries are palate pleasing when gobbled fresh off the vine, or sliced and macerated with balsamic vinegar, or short-caked, or mixed into some freshly made ice cream. But when they are moussed they take on an entirely new degree of elegance and deliciousness. Think strawberry clouds floating lazily across an azure sky and you have a very good image of a strawberry mousse. Just puree and strain strawberries, add cream cheese and heavy cream, flavor with a dollop of Chambord and you have a dessert worthy of your most fussy guests. The strawberry mousse can be made ahead of time and makes a stunning presentation at the end of the meal. The light, airy feel of the mousse titillates the sweet tooth without busting the waistline.
Just writing these words makes me think of the summer wind, flowing white cotton skirts, past summer loves, and the Beatles “Strawberry Fields Forever” (take that Sous Chef). So go ahead and have one last fling this summer – indulge in a Strawberry Mousse while you trip down memory lane.
- 2 pounds strawberries, hulled (6½ cups total)
- ½ cup sugar
- pinch salt
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons raspberry liqueur (Chambord is preferred)
- 1¾ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
- ½ cup cream (4 ounces) cream cheese, cut into 8 pieces and softened
- Cut enough strawberries into ¼-inch dice to measure 1 cup; set aside for garnish.
- Pulse remaining strawberries in food processor in two batches until most pieces are between ½ to ¼ inch thick (approximately 6-10 pulses). Transfer the berries to a bowl and toss with ¼ cup sugar and salt. Cover and let stand for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not wash food processor.
- Place heavy cream in the bowl of the stand mixer and refrigerate cream and bowl until ready to use.
- Strain strawberries through fine-mess strainer set in small saucepan, rendering a minimum of ⅔ cup juice. Reserve juice, and do not wash bowl. Return strained strawberries to the food processor and process until smooth 15-20 seconds. Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer into now empty bowl, pressing on solids to remove seeds and pulp until you have 1⅔ cup of puree.
- Place Chambord or raspberry liqueur in a small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over liqueur and let sit until gelatin softens about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook reserved juice over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 10 minutes (syrup will be thick). Remove from heat. Pour gelatin mixture over hot syrup and whisk to dissolve. Add softened cream cheese and whisk vigorously until smooth. Whisk in the 1/23 cup strawberry puree until combined.
- Using the stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whip chilled cream and remaining ¼ cup sugar on medium-low speed until no white streaks remain, 10-15 seconds. Portion into dessert dishes and chill for at least 4 hours.
- Garnish with diced strawberries.
- Mousse will keep up to 48 hours.
I see sous chef proofreads just like the Cute Gardener … we are lucky to have their eagle eyes and their knack for making us sound better and leave out oddball references eh? We still need to all go out together for dinner one night so they can compare notes. LOL.