Sweet Valentine: Rhubarb mousse

forced rhubarb

I always thought of rhubarb as a fruit, but it’s a vegetable with a very tart finish. I love its  elongated and thick pink stick with a very light shimmering finish. It’s in season right now.
There are two kinds of rhubarb: forced, grown in pots and indoor at the beginning of the year and the  intense maincrop that grow outdoors in the spring.

The leaves should never be eaten as they are poisonous, cut them off and discard them. Rhubarb should be stored in the fridge and consumed within two days.
Rhubarb can be roasted, poached or stewed with plenty of sugar to cut through the tartness. Purée for a satin, smooth finish to a dish as a sauce.

As Valentines day approaches, I can’t  think of a better way to express love than cooking for someone special. The pink colour of rhubarb evokes love on a plate. This recipe has few easy steps and chilling times; but it can be prepared in advance.

rhubarb mousse

Rhubarb mousse recipe

Makes: 6
Ingredients
400g of rhubarb
200g of sugar
1 teaspoon of lime juice
300ml of double cream
200g of mascarpone cheese
1 sheet of gelatin

Method:
1) in a pan cook the rhubarb, lime juice and sugar till soft, sieve. let it cool completely and reserve both separately the juice and the pulp.
2) in a mixer, beat the double cream till soft peaks, add  the mascarpone and mix it again gently
3) add the rhubarb pulp and mix with a spatula gently
4) place the mixture into small bowls and chill in the fridge
5) soak the gelatin as per package instruction
6) in a pan heat gently the rhubarb juice and add the gelatin, dissolve, let it cool  for 20 minutes (still liquid) and place on top of the mousse.
7) put the dishes back in the fridge, cool for 6 hours or overnight.

I decorated my mousses with meringues for a bit of crunch, recipe here

Topping suggestions: meringues, cream, strawberries (great combo with rhubarb) or  rhubarb compote

For another Valentine sweetness head over to GBChefs  for my recipe Flan with Rose Syrup.