Mousses et Mousselines Chaudes de Jambon

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •700 to 750 ml metal mould or small soufflé dish
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Two matching tablespoons
• •Wide poaching pan and slotted spoon
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Choose the form

   Choose one small moulded mousse for slicing or eight individual mousselines, two per person. The preparation is identical; only the shaping and poaching method change. Keep the ham farce over a bowl of ice while you prepare the mould or poaching pan. Cold is not brigade ceremony here. It keeps the cream held inside the meat proteins instead of separating into fat and liquid.

   If the farce has softened or looks glossy with free fat, stop and chill it for fifteen minutes. Stir it gently until smooth before testing. Warm farce makes heavy, leaking mousselines.
2. 2

   Test the seasoning

   Bring a small saucepan of unsalted water to the barest tremble. Poach one teaspoon of Fine Chicken Forcemeat or “Mousseline” (No. 195), prepared with ham, for two minutes, then taste it warm. Add fine salt only if the sample genuinely needs it. If it tastes briny, fold cold heavy cream into the farce one tablespoon at a time, using no more than ¼ cup, chill for ten minutes, and test again. Ça se rattrape now; after the whole batch is cooked, it does not.

3. 3

   Mould the mousse

   For the large mousse, heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Butter a 700 to 750 ml mould or small soufflé dish thoroughly, then line its base with a round of parchment and butter the parchment. Spoon in the cold farce in three additions, pressing each gently against the sides to exclude air pockets without beating out its lightness. Smooth the top and cover it with buttered parchment, buttered side down.

4. 4

   Poach the mousse

   Set the mould in a deep roasting pan and pour hot water around it to come halfway up the sides. Bake in this bain-marie, a water bath, for 25 to 35 minutes, until the centre feels softly resilient and reaches 160°F (71°C). The surrounding water should quiver, never boil. If it begins bubbling hard, lower the oven and add a little cold water to the roasting pan. If a rim of fat appears, remove the mousse as soon as its centre is safely set and rest it for five minutes; the texture will be less fine, but it remains entirely worth serving.

5. 5

   Shape the mousselines

   For individual mousselines, bring a wide pan of unsalted water to 180 to 185°F (82 to 85°C), with only an occasional bubble at the edge. Dip two matching tablespoons in the hot water. Scoop a rounded spoonful of cold farce with one, then pass it between the spoons three or four times to form a smooth egg shape. Shape eight, working in two batches if the pan is not wide enough to hold them without touching.

6. 6

   Poach the mousselines

   Slip the mousselines into the hot water and poach for 8 to 10 minutes, turning them once, until plump, softly springy, and 160°F (71°C) at the centre. Never let the water boil. If the first mousseline feathers, cracks, or slumps, lift the pan from the heat and remove it; lower the water temperature, chill the remaining farce for fifteen minutes, then shape and test another. Ça se rattrape. One failed quenelle is tuition, not dinner lost.

7. 7

   Unmould and serve

   For the mousse, rest the mould for five minutes, loosen the edge with a thin knife, and invert it onto a warmed oval platter. Remove the parchment and slice at the table. For mousselines, lift them with a slotted spoon, drain them on a folded clean towel, and arrange two on each warmed plate. Serve immediately while the texture is tender and satin-soft. Never apologize at your own table. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a moist, plainly cooked ham with a firm grain. Avoid strongly smoked, sugar-glazed, or waterlogged ham; the first two overwhelm the cream, while the last weakens the farce.
• •Prepare the linked forcemeat without its usual added salt at first. Ham varies enormously, and the cooked teaspoon test is the only reliable measure. The raw farce tastes colder, duller, and less salty than the finished dish will.
• •The original vegetable red was cosmetic. Leave it out and accept the ham's natural colour, from pale rose to a deeper pink. A vivid confectionery shade teaches nothing about the cooking.
• •Warm the platter and plates before serving because these delicate preparations cool quickly. Buttered spinach, glazed carrots, or peas make a sensible accompaniment without crowding the ham.
• •Pour a dry Chenin Blanc or a light Beaujolais. Both have enough freshness for the cream and enough restraint to leave the ham itself in charge.

Advance Preparation

• •The ham farce can be prepared and seasoning-tested up to one day ahead. Press parchment directly against its surface and keep it thoroughly chilled.
• •The mousse mould can be filled and refrigerated for up to two hours before poaching. Let the mould stand at room temperature for ten minutes while the oven heats so the cooking begins evenly.
• •Mousselines can be shaped onto lightly dampened parchment and chilled for thirty minutes before poaching. Cover them so their surfaces do not dry.
• •Cooked mousse is best served at once. Leftovers keep chilled for up to two days and should be rewarmed covered, very gently, in a bain-marie so the cream does not separate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 145g)