Mousseline of Scallops & Salmon
Submitted by tysbabe
Mousseline of scallops and salmon, a silky two-tone seafood mousse with a truffled scallop outer layer and a salmon center, steamed in ramekins and served on sauteed spinach with a beurre blanc. An elegant French starter.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
30 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis is classic French technique in miniature: a featherlight seafood mousse, two layers in one mold. The outer shell is ground scallops bound with egg and cream and flecked with truffle, while a salmon mousse gets piped into the center, so each unmolded portion reveals a rosy core.
The secret to a mousseline is cold and restraint. Keep the ground seafood well chilled and add the cream slowly, just until blended. Overprocess it and the fat breaks, turning the delicate mousse buttery and grainy.
It cooks gently in a water bath, the ramekins set in a pan of water under pierced foil, so the bath’s even warmth sets the mousse silky without rubbery edges.
A quick beurre blanc, shallots and wine reduced then mounted with butter, gets spooned over, and a nest of sauteed spinach and watercress gives each plate a fresh green base.
Chef Tips
- Keep everything cold, the seafood, the bowl, even the blade, so the mousse stays smooth and doesn’t separate.
- Add the cream slowly and stop the second it’s blended. Overblending makes it dense and buttery.
- Don’t let the water bath boil. Gentle heat keeps the mousse tender instead of curdled.
- Test one mold for doneness; the mousse should feel just set and spring back lightly.
Variations
- Skip the truffle for a simpler, far cheaper version, or use a few drops of truffle oil.
- Swap the salmon center for a shrimp or lobster mousse.
- Serve with a saffron or chive beurre blanc for color and aroma.
Ingredients
Directions
Grind the scallops and the shrimp (separately) in a meat grinder or food processor, then cool both in the refrigerator for ½ hour.
Place the scallops in a bowl with 1 egg, 1 egg white (reserve the yolk for the salmon), salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
Put the scallop mixture in a food processor and run for 1 minute.
Slowly add cream until blended (about 3 seconds).
Do not overblend or mixture will be buttery.
Add truffles to scallop mixture and set aside.
Place the salmon in a processor bowl with the other egg, the reserved egg yolk, salt and pepper.
Process for 1 minute.
Butter the ramekins or molds, then spoon the scallop mixture into them.
Put the salmon mixture into a piping tube and pump the mixture into the center of the mold.
Place the ramekins or molds in a shallow pan containing 1 inch of water.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil pierced with small holes to allow steam to escape.
Bake in a 350℉ (180℃) F oven for 30 minutes.
Put the shallots, vinegar, and wine into small saucepan and cook until half of the liquid is gone.
Add cream and bring to a boil, then whip.
Add butter in small pieces and whisk over medium heat.
Remove from heat and adjust the seasonings.
Sauté spinach and watercress in butter for 1 minute.
On hot serving plates, arrange some of the spinach and watercress in small circles the same size as the ramekins or molds.
Unmold the scallop-salmon mousse onto the vegetables, top with sauce(s).
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