Cauliflower and Gruyère cheese mousse, caramelised artichoke, smoked almond, puffed rice
This dish has all the flavours of a comforting cauliflower cheese, and is an excellent wintery vegetarian starter. The cauliflower cheese mousse is made with a generous amount of Le Gruyère cheese, which brings a funkier and deeper flavour to the dish and the puffed wild rice makes a delicious crunchy garnish. Take care when deep frying the puffed rice though - it will spit a lot as the grains expand.
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Cauliflower Cheese Mousse
- 80g of butter
- 400g of cauliflower, cut very small
- 160ml of whole milk
- 350ml of whipping cream
- salt
- 200g of Gruyère
Roast Jerusalem Artichoke Puree
- 70ml of vegetable oil
- 500g of Jerusalem artichoke, peeled and diced
- 125g of shallots, roughly chopped
- salt
- 75g of butter, 50g left whole and 25g diced
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 125ml of double cream
To serve
- 50g of chopped chives
- 3 smoked almonds
Equipment
- Small siphon gun
- 2 siphon cartridges
Method
To make the puffed rice, heat the vegetable oil until it is very hot - about 190°C
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
Set up some kitchen towel on a plate or tray for draining the rice
Very, very carefully, and with a mesh strainer at the ready, add half the wild rice. It should puff up straight away - immediately remove it and transfer to the kitchen towel
- 100g of wild rice
Repeat with the remaining rice, and season with salt. Set to one side
Heat a large pan and add the butter. When it is foaming, add the cauliflower and cook for 4-5 mins until it starts to soften
- 80g of butter
- 400g of cauliflower, cut very small
Add the milk and cream and bring to a simmer. Season with salt
- 160ml of whole milk
- 350ml of whipping cream
- salt
Simmer for a few more minutes until the cauliflower is completely cooked
Remove from the heat and add the Gruyère cheese. Whisk until smooth, and all the cheese has melted
- 200g of Gruyère
Transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth
Pass the cauliflower cheese sauce through a fine sieve and check for seasoning
Whilst still warm, pour the sauce into a whipping siphon - there should be about 1 litre
Screw on the lid and charge with two gas cartridges
Shake well and keep warm (for example in a warm water bath)
Add the vegetable oil to a large pan and heat up over a medium-high heat. Add the artichokes and shallots and cook, stirring, for 15-20 minutes or until soft and golden brown
- 70ml of vegetable oil
- 500g of Jerusalem artichoke, peeled and diced
- 125g of shallots, roughly chopped
Add cream to the pan and bring to the boil. Season again with salt to taste, and then remove the thyme sprigs. Transfer to a blender
- 125ml of double cream
While blending, drop in pieces of the 25g of diced butter bit by bit to emulsify it
- 25g of butter, diced
Adjust the thickness of the sauce with water, and season again as needed
Pass through a fine sieve, and then transfer to a piping bag
Pipe a small amount of the artichoke puree into warm servings bowls - about one dessert spoonful per bowl
Shake the siphon gun really well for 2 minutes. Squirt out a nice dome of the warm mousse into the bowl over the artichoke puree, and up to the rim of the bowl
Sprinkle over the chopped chives, and some of the puffed rice
- 50g of chopped chives
Grate over the smoked almonds with a fine microplane. Serve immediately
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