Bavarois is a fruit and cream mousse set with gelatin. This post I dedicate to my late MC-Hammer-dancing dad who passed away 26 years ago this week. He was a 2 Michelin star Chef, the 1st Belgian chef to break with traditional French cuisine and share his own style of cooking and bring new flavours to our palates. He has many accolades as a chef but I like to recall those childhood memories I have, all linked to food of course. He made the most delish, light, fluffy bavarois. I close my eyes and I can literally taste it. In his honour I made strawberry bavarois.
I think some of those classic, traditional – old fashioned almost – dishes are making a come back. I truly love making classics and adding my own twist to them but here I kept it pretty much as it was. I used stainless steel rings for the mousse, like he did but you can use any type of tumbler or little bowl.
I topped one with marshmallows he loved, one with pistachios crumbs and one with strawberries of course. You could also add little meringues, berry coulis or white chocolate shavings.
I went very OTT kitsch in the styling with the sweet pea flowers. My dad would bring some back for me from the early morning Brussels market and he LOVED all things kitsch, so I took pics he would approve, I think.
Spring is here! Strawberries are now in season from April to June, they are the first berries to come in season and I just can’t stop eating them! This mousse is just to die for and a great dessert or in my case dessert for breakfast ( no judgement plz)
Last year I made his favourite flan, Gentse vlaai, made from speculoos, typical from Ghent. Check it out here.
Now, have YOU ever had bavarois?
Strawberry bavarois
Yield 3 portions
Ingredients
- 250 gr strawberries, washed and crown removed
- 60 gr sugar
- 250 ml cream, whipped in peaks
- 2 egg whites, whipped in peaks
- 4 gelatin leaves ( about 8gr)
- 10 cl lemon juice
- to decorate: strawberries, meringue, berry coulis, white chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Blitz the strawberries and sugar in a food processor. Just a few pulses, if you are looking for still some strawberry bites, or pulse longer if you wish a smooth mousse.
- Soak the gelatin leaves into water for 5 minutes. Heat the lemon juice in the microwave till lukewarm and squeeze the water form the gelatin leaves and add to lemon juice, let dissolve.
- Add the lemon juice with gelatin into the strawberry mash, with a spatula add the cream and than the egg whites, mix well but keep the air in by uses movements of 8.
- You can use a piping bag or just laddle to add the mousse tot he receipt of your choice and let set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
- When set remove from fridge, add toppings and serve. If you use the stainless steel rings like I did, cut with a knife along the edges to unmold them and add toppings.
Notes
recipe on www.leeksandhighheels.com by Sandra Slawinski
Written and photographed by Sandra Slawinski without commercial deals.
