Cherry Mousse

From The Best of Irish Country Cooking: Classic and Contemporary Recipes by Nuala Cullen, photography by Tony Briscoe and Michael Diggin. Published by Interlink Books, copyright 2015, $35.00. Reprinted with permission.

• Servings: 6.

From The Best of Irish Country Cooking, Classic and Contemporary Recipes, by Nuala Cullen.

This recipe makes a flavorful, soft mousse that is a gorgeous and appetizing shade of pink.  While you can make this year-round with frozen cherries, when local sweet cherries come into season in the early summer, you should make this recipe a frequent favorite.  It's simply luscious.

Ingredients

• 1 lb/450 g cherries
• 1 tablespoon each grated lemon zest and lemon juice
• 4 teaspoons or 1 x 1/2 oz/11 g envelope or 3 leaves gelatine
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup/55 g sugar
• Generous 1/2 cup/150 ml whipping cream
• Summer fruits or fresh mint leaves, to decorate

Directions

1. Poach the cherries in as little water as possible until soft enough to extract the pits, then drain, reserving any cooking liquid.
2. Purée the cherries with 1–2 tablespoons of the cooking water and the lemon zest and juice. Use the remaining cooking water to dissolve the gelatine, topping it up with water according to the directions on the package. Set aside to cool.
3. Separate the eggs and place the yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water. Whisk over low heat until thick and creamy. Remove from the heat and whisk from time to time until cool. Stir the gelatine mixture thoroughly into the egg mixture, then beat in the cherry purée. Lightly whip the cream and fold it in.
4. Whisk the egg whites to the soft-peak stage and, when the gelatine mixture is just at the point of setting, fold the whites in carefully, amalgamating them thoroughly. Divide the mousse among 6 ring molds or ramekins and allow them to set in the refrigerator. Decorate with berries or mint leaves.