Beet Mousse

This is a very popular French appetizer, and why not? It's easy, it does not call for many ingredients, it's healthy, and it's very tasty too. It's a little on the rich side perhaps, but appetizers mostly are; you are just having a bite or two of them before it's on to other things. Besides all that it can be presented very prettily, mostly in verrines (small glasses) like miniature parfaits, but I think this would also be lovely in tiny bites presented in Belgian endive leaves. The sweet and the bitter; the smooth and the crunchy, would contrast nicely. The cheese should be smooth and soft but does not have to be chevre. Cream cheese or blue cheese could also be used.

 

4 to 8 servings

1 hour to cook the beets

20 minutes prep time

 

225 grams (1/2 pound) beets

a little extra beet to garnish

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon OR lime zest

1/4 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger

the juice of 1/2 lemon OR 1 lime

225 grams (1/2 pound) chevre

1 to 3 teaspoons light cream

a little parsley to garnish

AND/OR 1 or 2 heads Belgian Endive

Put the beets into a small pot of water with enough to cover them well. Bring them to a boil and boil them steadily for 45 minutes to an hour, until tender. Keep the beet cooking water. This can be done up to a day ahead, and the beets should be cool when you proceed. 

Peel and slice the beets, and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Keep some aside to garnish the mousses. Add the salt, pepper, lemon zest, and grated ginger, and process until the beets are as smooth as you can get them. Add the lemon juice and process, then a few tablespoons of the beet cooking water if necessary to get a smooth, soft paste. Keep out a couple of tablespoons of the chevre, but add the rest to the food processor and process until very smooth. You will need to stop and scrape down the sides a few times throughout the process. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

Divide the mousse amongst individual serving dishes. Mix the remaining cheese with the cream until smooth and soft; add a little salt if you think it needs it. Garnish the mousses with dollops of the cheese, slices of beets, and sprigs of parsley. 

 

Alternatively, put spoonfuls of the mousse into clean, dry Belgian Endive leaves, and garnish with a single small sliver of beet, a tiny dollop of the creamed cheese, and a pinch of parsley if available. 

 

Keep cool until served.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Braised Belgian Endive in a Ginger Clementine Sauce.