Lemon Verbena Mousse with Saffron Flakes

Lemon Verbena Mousse with Saffron Flakes

Recipe by: Billie McKay - Contestant 

Ingredients:

Mousse:

• 2g Gelatine Leaf
• 150ml cream
• 2 Egg Yolks
• 100g White Chocolate
• 1 Tbsp Salt
• 1 Vanilla Bean
• 12 Lemon Verbena Leaves
• 150ml cream, whipped

Lemon Curd Sphere:

• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Caster Sugar
• 50g Butter
• 2 eggs

Strawberry Puree:

• 1/2 cup Chopped Strawberries
• 1 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 Vanilla Bean - Seeds
• 2 Tbsp Sparkling Wine

Strawberry Sherbet:

• 1.5g Citric Acid
• 1g Bi-Carb Soda
• 15g Caster Sugar
• 15g Dehydrated Strawberry Powder

Macadamia Praline:

• 1/4 cup Macadamia Roasted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp Salt

Saffron Wafer: 

• 2 Egg whites
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup Plain Flour
• 2 Tbsp Water
• 2 Tbsp Melted Butter
• 1/2 Gram of Powdered Saffron

Method

1. For the mousse, combine the cream, vanilla, lemon verbena leaves and white chocolate in a saucepan. Heat until chocolate melts then add the yolks. Whisk well, then heat to 85°c
2. Remove from heat, and then strain into a bowl.
3. Soak the gelatine in water until soft. Whisk into the chocolate mix, and then chill thoroughly.
4. Fold the whipped cream, into the chilled mix then, pour into two 8cm diameter metal moulds and place in the fridge.
5. Meanwhile, make the curd. Place all ingredients into a saucepan and heat slowing until thickened. Remove from heat and spoon into 4 x 3 cm silicon half circle moulds and freeze.
6. To make the strawberry puree. Put all ingredients into a saucepan and cook until soft and sticky, using a stick blender, blitz the berries to a smooth puree—strain into a piping bag.
7. Once the curd has half-frozen, spoon out a 1.5cm hole in the middle of all four domes fill with the strawberry puree then freeze again.
8. To make the sorbet, blitz all ingredients in a food processor and set aside.
9. Once the strawberry domes have frozen take them out of the moulds, heat one quickly on the flat side and mould the two domes together to make a sphere. Poke into the mousse until almost entirely submerged. Set aside to set in the fridge.
10. For the praline, melt the sugar to a dark caramel, then pour over the roasted nuts set to cool, then blitz in a food processor to a fine crumb. Set aside.
11. To make the saffron ‘cornflakes’, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Meanwhile, soak the saffron in the water until a good flavour and colour have been achieved. Pour into the whites with the sugar, flour and melted butter and stir to combine.
12. Spread out the flake mix thinly onto a tray and bake for 8-10 mins or until golden and the colour of ‘cornflakes‘, remove from the oven and break into little flakes.
13. To assemble, remove the mousses from the moulds and put onto a plate. Sprinkle some praline and sherbet over the top, then place the flakes on, one by one to the cover the whole mouse. Sprinkle over some more praline and pipe the strawberry puree over and around.