mousse

{{Short description|Soft creamy prepared food using air bubbles for texture}}

{{Infobox food

| name = Mousse

| image = Chocolate coffee mousse.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Chocolate mousse garnished with ground cinnamon

| alternate_name =

| country = France

| region =

| creator =

| course = Dessert

| type =

| served =

| main_ingredient = Whipped egg whites or whipped cream, chocolate or puréed fruit

| variations = Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, choco vanilla, etc.

}}

A mousse ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|uː|s}}, {{IPA|fr|mus|lang}}; {{literally|foam}}) is a soft prepared food that incorporates air bubbles to give it a light and airy texture. Depending on preparation techniques, it can range from light and fluffy to creamy and thick. A mousse may be sweet or savory.[http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/mousse/index.html "Mousse"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161229014433/http://www.foodterms.com/encyclopedia/mousse/index.html |date=2016-12-29 }}. Food Network Food Encyclopedia. Retrieved February 21, 2017.

History

Various desserts consisting of whipped cream in pyramidal shapes with coffee, liqueurs, chocolate, fruits, and so on either in the mixture or poured on top were called {{lang|fr|crème en mousse}} ('cream in a foam'), {{lang|fr|crème mousseuse}} ('foamy cream'), {{lang|fr|mousse}} ('foam'), and so on,M. Emy (officier), L'Art de bien faire les glaces d'office; ou, Les vrais principes pour congeler tous les rafraichissemens, etc, Paris, 1768 [https://books.google.com/books?id=qDZdAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA222 p. 222]Alexandre-Balthazar-Laurent Grimod de La Reynière, Néo-Physiologie du gout par order alphabétique ou Dictionnaire générale de la cuisine française, 1839, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ts9QAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA184 p. 184] as early as 1768.Jim Chevallier, A History of the Food of Paris: From Roast Mammoth to Steak Frites, 2018, {{isbn|1442272821}}, p. 195"Tante Marie", La Véritable cuisine de famille, comprenant 1.000 recettes et 500 menus, 18??, [https://books.google.com/books?id=5A80_xF0vHUC&pg=PA296 p. 296] "Crème fouettée (ou Fromage à la Chantilly)"Mrs. Beeton, The book of household management, 1888, [https://books.google.com/books?id=otoAAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA927 p. 927] Modern mousses are a continuation of this tradition.

Types

=Sweet=

Sweet mousses are typically made with whipped egg whites, whipped cream,Prosper Montagné, Larousse Gastronomique, 1961 (English translation of 1938 French edition), p. 630 or both, and flavored with one or more of chocolate, coffee, caramel,{{Cite web|title = Caramel & White Chocolate Mousse Recipe|url = http://videoculinary.com/recipes/desserts/222-white-chocolate-caramel-mousse|website = VideoCulinary.com|access-date = 2016-01-04|language = en-GB|archive-date = 2015-11-01|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151101182910/http://videoculinary.com/recipes/desserts/222-white-chocolate-caramel-mousse|url-status = live}} puréed fruits, or various herbs and spices, such as mint or vanilla.{{Cite web|title = How to prepare Mousse|url = https://www.nestledessertsarabia.com/recipe-details/frozen-chocolate-mousse/332|language = en-GB}}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In the case of some chocolate mousses, egg yolks are often stirred into melted chocolate to give the final product a richer mouthfeel. Mousses are also typically chilled before being served, which gives them a denser texture. Additionally, mousses are often frozen into silicone molds and unmolded to give the mousse a defined shape. Sweetened mousse is served as a dessert or used as an airy cake filling.{{Cite web|date=2019-11-29|title=Silky mousses with a stable structure: a few tips and tricks -|url=https://quescrem.es/en/silky-mousses-with-a-stable-structure-a-few-tips-and-tricks/|access-date=2021-06-25|website=Quescrem|language=en-US|archive-date=2021-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210625153009/https://quescrem.es/en/silky-mousses-with-a-stable-structure-a-few-tips-and-tricks/|url-status=dead}} It is sometimes stabilized with gelatin.{{cite book|last1=Hyman|first1=Gaston|editor1-last=Hyman|editor1-first=Phillip|editor2-last=Hyman|editor2-first=Mary|title=Lenôtre's Desserts and Pastries|date=1977|publisher=Barrons Educational Series Inc|location=Woodbury, New York|isbn=978-0812051377|page=[https://archive.org/details/lenotresdesserts00leno/page/78 78]|edition=1st|language=en|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/lenotresdesserts00leno/page/78}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2014/02/13/276044516/paris-confidential-the-mystery-mousse-behind-the-chocolate-bar|title=Paris Confidential: The Mystery Mousse Behind The Chocolate Bar|work=NPR.org|access-date=2017-10-05|language=en|archive-date=2017-10-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006012620/http://www.npr.org/2014/02/13/276044516/paris-confidential-the-mystery-mousse-behind-the-chocolate-bar|url-status=live}}

=Savory=

Savory mousses can be made from meat, fish, shellfish, foie gras, cheese, or vegetables. Hot mousses often get their light texture from the addition of beaten egg whites.

Molded and shaped fish mousse with bread and butter remains a popular meal of American cuisine, if not a party dip, although it is not as common as it was in the 1950s.Good Housekeeping, July 1907{{cite web |title=Bring Back Salmon Mousse |website=Taste Magazine |publisher=Penguin Random House |url=https://www.tastecooking.com/bring-back-salmon-mousse/ |access-date=2020-09-09 |archive-date=2021-05-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518103355/https://www.tastecooking.com/bring-back-salmon-mousse/ |url-status=live }}

Gallery

File:Lemon mousse with peach compote (4455679740).jpg|Lemon mousse with peach compote

File:Smoked salmon and dill mousse in cucumber cups.jpg|Savory salmon mousse

File:Mousse cake 7.jpg|Mousse cake

File:Debesmanna.JPG|Redcurrant semolina mousse

References

Category:French desserts

Category:Creamy dishes