LICORICE MOUSSE

This is the Licorice Mousse prepared for a dinner at Sir Blake’s house. Sir Blake is the founder of Friendly’s ice cream chain.

After the success of this dessert obtained in a house of such prestige, I proposed the same dessert to a famous film and television producer, for a dinner attended by many of the actors of his entourage (including Patrick Dempsey – incidentally, at the era I had no idea who he was, but when I saw him I thought WOW!).

An afternoon , August 2007

They had come to pick me up with a car long from here to there; every time we turned the curves of the road that runs along the east coast and then climbed above the bay of Sandy Beach, I was afraid that the side would rub on the side wall or that the car curved too, the hood already up, over the curve and the back again .. around the curve, like in cartoons; as if it were a rubber car that changed its curvature following the road.

I am introduced to the landlord, a tall, big man. They tell me his name which, too, reminded me of nothing: I had absolutely no idea who he was.

He asked me what my idea for dinner was. He told me he preferred meat to fish. There were important guests, he wanted a simple and effective dinner, that is, it had to please everyone and at the same time surprise a little. Well! , in hindsight, I thought that he is a master in this, even if not in the culinary field, being the producer and director of one of the most followed TV series.

Caponata in bowls of phyllo dough, Gnocchi with Pesto, Lamb with almond breading and Licorice Mousse, I said. He looked at me a bit perplexed. Then he said, ok, yes, everything ok .. but licorice no, I don’t like it. What else can you do?

Blueberries with something else around: shortcrust pastry, custard, lavender syrup …. (?)

Yes! Blueberries are fine!       

 “They told me great things about you. I don’t think there is anyone among my guests who wants to cook with you, apart from one. It’s on the patio. I call him. He’ll love spending a few hours in the kitchen!“

So, in addition to two large desert dogs, two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, a breed bred in Africa and trained to fight lions, George also entered the kitchen, coming from the garden. He is a doctor. So, while the dogs mostly watch over the bits of food that fall on the floor, George and I talk about everything and cook. We cook and talk about everything. Until he tells me he was the doctor of Mother Teresa of Calcutta for twenty years, until the last. And then, while continuing to cook, we talk about one thing only. Until George sees me fiddling with a black powder and asks me if it’s gunpowder.

It is licorice, I say, but I cannot use it as the landlord doen’t like it.

George is a joker and suggests doing something with the licorice anyway … let’s see what the boss will say! Maybe after the blueberries with something else around ”.

I knew that Americans generally don’t know the true taste of licorice and they say “I don’t like it”. It had already happened to me in the previous dinner … so I decided for a variant of the recipe.

With the help of George, who has a lot of fun at the idea of playing a joke on his friend, I temper the white chocolate and make small glasses of it in small molds. Then I fill them with mousse with thepastry bag and place a coffee bean covered with dark chocolate on top..

Then dinner time arrives and George joins the others in the dining room. The waiters of the house help me. Dinner begins: the dishes come out, one after the other.

Then…then…. I serve the small white chocolate cups together with the coffee.

In the end, the host asks to the butler to call me into the dining room, compliments me, introduces me to the guests and… .. asks me what those delicious things are that he can’t stop eating.

Licorice, I reply.

Davvero???? sono deliziosi.

George nearly falls off his chair in laughter.

LICORICE MOUSSE

150 gr di fresh wipping cream

200 gr milk

20 gr licorice powder ( it’s enough to mix a few pure licorice drops)

4 egg yolks

80 gr sugar

3 gelatin sheets

200 gr (already) whipped cream ( no sugar)

Soak the gelatin sheets in cold water then squeeze it.

Prepare an English cream in this way: beat the egg yolks well with half the sugar; add the licorice powder. Heat the milk and the cream with the rest of the sugar. When the mixture reaches 50 ° C, dissolve the egg mixture with a few tablespoons of hot milk, then pour it into the milk over the heat, always stirring, and bring the cream to 75 ° C. Remove from the heat and add the squeezed gelatine, which will melt immediately. Return to the heat, stirring, for another 15 seconds.i.

Let it cool down.

Fold in the whipped cream.

If you want to serve on plates, fill individual molds and let it set in the fridge for three hours. If you want to fill molds with chocolate, put it in a pastry bag and keep in the fridge until ready for use.

For the anis sauce ( in case it is served in the plate):

200 ml milk

2 gr di anis seeds

50 gr sugar

1 tea spoon starch (corn, wheat or potato starch)

Boil the milk with the seeds and sugar. Let it cool. Put the starch in a non-stick pan, pour the cold milk gradually, stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps. Then put on low heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and filter through a strainer.

Presentation:

For the plating in the dish:

Pour about 3 tablespoons of aniseed sauce into the center of the plate, then rotate it so that the sauce spreads “like a mirror”, forming a disk smaller than the bottom of the plate.

Form quenelles or balls with the licorice mousse. Arrange three in the center of the sauce. In case of individual moulds, take the mousse out with care and place it in the middle.

Dust with a very little licorice or coffee powder.

For the white chocolate cups: if you want to serve as a small delicacy with coffee, you don’t need aniseed sauce

200 gr white chocolate

Follow the instructions for tempering, then line the moulds

Marcella Ansaldo