Mousses et Mousselines de Volaille

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Two nested mixing bowls, with the larger bowl wide enough to hold ice
• •600 ml metal charlotte mould or straight-sided soufflé dish
• •28 cm wide sauté pan for individual poaching
• •Deep roasting tin for the bain-marie
• •Two ordinary tablespoons
• •Perforated spoon
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the form

   Begin with the finished, thoroughly chilled Fine Chicken Forcemeat or “Mousseline” (No. 195). Do not rebuild that preparation here; the source keeps it as a separate component, and so do we. For a Mousse, prepare one buttered 600-millilitre mould to serve four. For Mousselines, plan on eight ovals, two for each guest. The mixture is the same. Only the scale and shape change.

   Choose before uncovering the bowl. A clear plan keeps the forcemeat out of the cold for less time.
2. 2

   Set up the cold

   Nest the bowl of forcemeat in a larger bowl filled with ice while you prepare the mould or poaching pan. Keep the mixture at or below 4°C until cooking, and return each unused portion to the cold immediately. If its surface begins to look loose or oily, stop working it. Bury the bowl more deeply in the ice for 10 minutes, then fold gently from the edge toward the centre once it has tightened. Beating a warming emulsion only makes it warmer.

3. 3

   Test the set

   Heat the water to 80 to 85°C, when the surface barely trembles. Poach a rounded teaspoon of forcemeat for about 3 minutes, then cut it open. It should hold cleanly with a fine, moist crumb. If it feathers into the water or feels too relaxed to shape, return the bowl to the ice for 10 minutes and test again. If the second test remains delicate, choose the large mould instead of adding egg, flour, or crumbs. Ça se rattrape: the mould supplies support without changing the formula.

4. 4

   Mould or spoon

   For a Mousse, butter the mould thoroughly, including its rim, then spoon in the cold forcemeat. Press gently to remove large air pockets without compacting the mixture, smooth the top, and cover it with buttered parchment followed by foil. For Mousselines, use the individual portioning model established by Mousseline de Saumon (No. 797): dip two ordinary tablespoons in hot water, shake them dry, and pass about 60 grams of forcemeat between them to make a smooth oval. Shape eight, working briskly and returning the bowl to the ice between portions.

5. 5

   Poach without boiling

   For the Mousse, place the covered mould in a roasting tin and pour hot water halfway up its sides. Cook in a 160°C oven for 25 to 35 minutes. For Mousselines, slide the ovals directly into water held between 80 and 85°C and poach for 10 to 12 minutes, turning them once with a spoon. The water must never boil. If bubbles suddenly break across the surface, lower the heat and add a small splash of cold water at the edge of the pan. Catch it quickly and the texture remains tender.

6. 6

   Check the centre

   The poultry is ready when its centre reaches 74°C and feels softly resilient rather than firm. Test a large Mousse through the covered top near one edge so the mark will not show after unmoulding. Lift individual Mousselines with a perforated spoon and check one from the first pair shaped. Do not leave either form sitting in hot water once cooked; lingering heat tightens the egg white and drives out the cream.

7. 7

   Rest and serve

   Rest the Mousse in its mould for 5 minutes, then loosen the edge with a thin knife and invert it onto a warm platter. Let individual Mousselines drain for 1 minute on a clean lint-free towel before arranging two on each warmed plate. Serve immediately, either plainly as the source gives them or with the separately prepared accompaniment already assigned to your menu. Their surface should be smooth, their centre fine and moist, and their shape generous rather than fussy. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Fine Chicken Forcemeat or “Mousseline” (No. 195) is a finished referenced component, not an invitation to improvise its formula inside this entry. Its pounding, egg white, sieving, and cautious addition of thick cream establish the emulsion before shaping begins.
• •Mousses and Mousselines are not two different mixtures. A Mousse fills one larger mould for several people; Mousselines are individual quenelles, traditionally one or two for each guest. The word carries the technique.
• •Keep the processor bowl or mixing bowl, spoons, mould, and forcemeat cold. Technique first, always. Expensive chicken cannot rescue a warmed, broken emulsion, while modest chicken handled carefully becomes remarkably delicate.
• •The Mousseline de Saumon (No. 797) is the book's model for individual spoon-moulding. It is a cross-reference, not an ingredient here, so no salmon or raw fish garnish belongs on these poultry mousselines.
• •A dry Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc suits the cream-rich texture without crowding it. Serve modest pours and bring the Mousselines to the table promptly; this dish rewards attention, not ceremony.

Advance Preparation

• •The Fine Chicken Forcemeat or “Mousseline” (No. 195) may be completed up to 6 hours ahead and held covered in the cold with its bowl nested over ice. Keep it at or below 4°C.
• •A large Mousse may be packed into its buttered mould, covered, and refrigerated for up to 4 hours before cooking. Set the cold mould into warm, not boiling, bain-marie water so the temperature rises gently.
• •Individual Mousselines may be poached up to 6 hours ahead, cooled promptly, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat them in water held around 75°C until their centres return to 74°C, then drain and serve at once. Freshly poached remains the finer result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 120g)