Recipe from chef Paul

9 June 2015

Rhubarb Mousse

Ingredients
1kg rhubarb
135g caster sugar
135g unstalted butter
1 vanilla pod cut and scraped
120g caster sugar (for Italian meringue)
15g gelatine leaf
125ml egg whites
60ml of water
250ml double cream


Method
Place the butter in a stainless steel saucepan and start to melt add the chopped rhubarb, sugar and vanilla pod<br>
Cook out the rhubarb to a compote stirring from time to time
If the texture is to runny then leave to reduce down until you arrive at a thickish texture<br>
Remove the vanilla pod and place compote into blender and blitz into a fine pulp
Reserve for later use
Make Italian meringue - you do this by heating the sugar and water to 240f
Set mixer to medium speed and mix egg whites until soft peaks form (when lifted, the head of the mixer should form gentle peaks in the egg whites that very slowly collapse back into themselves), about 2 minutes
With the mixer running, carefully and slowly drizzle in hot sugar syrup. Increase speed to high and whip until desired stiffness is achieved
Soak gelatine leaves in cold water to soften
Take a small amount of the rhubarb compote and heat, dissolve the gelatine into the heated  rhubarb compote then add to the rest of the compote and mix well, cool over ice and stir from time to time
Add the Italian meringue whilst still a little warm and mix in well, then fold in the cream carefully
Pipe into / pour into moulds and set into fridge

There you go, a rhubarb mousse to die for!

Paul