Mousselines de Foie Gras

Mousselines de Foie Gras (individual foie gras mousses) teach a precise piece of classical grammar. A mousse fills one mould for several diners; a mousseline is the same substance set one portion at a time. Scale alone changes the word. C'est la même grammaire.

The grand kitchen assumed a saucier on staff, stock never off the fire, a house-prepared foie gras base, and ranks of egg or quenelle moulds. A salamander has no part here because the finish is cold. At home, fully cooked plain foie gras supplies the liver base, strong strained stock and gelatin make a small aspic, and four silicone moulds replace the batterie of metal forms. The classical entry permits either aspic or sauce chaud-froid; this version takes the aspic route because making a separate coating sauce for four portions is brigade scaffolding. The cold emulsion, individual moulding, and final glaze are the dish, so they stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.

The one step that decides the texture is folding cold whipped cream into a foie gras base that is cool but still pliable. Too warm and the cream collapses; too cold and the gelatin catches in threads. Bring both to the right point before they meet, and the mousselines will set tender rather than rubbery.