Seafood Mousse

AVOCADO AND SMOKED SALMON MOUSSE

Steps:

• Line a 4-cup round mold with plastic wrap. Lay about 1/3 of the salmon over the plastic wrap, overlapping each slice slightly and hanging the ends over the edge, to cover the mold. Chop the remaining salmon into 1/2-inch pieces and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and sour cream until creamy and well combined. Add the hot pepper sauce and salt and stir well. In a small saucepan, heat the lemon juice over very low heat. Pour into a 1/2-cup ramekin and sprinkle with the gelatin, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir into the cream cheese mixture. Fold in the chopped smoked salmon and scallions. Spoon 1/3 of the mousse into the mold, top with a layer of avocado slices, then gently spread with 1/2 the salmon roe. Spread 1/3 of the mousse on top of the roe, and top with the remaining avocado slices and roe. Spread the remaining mousse over the top and fold the overhanging salmon strips over to completely enclose the mousse. Cover with the plastic wrap and chill until firm, about 3 hours. To unmold, place the mold in a bowl of warm water for 10 seconds. Unwrap the plastic from the bottom of the mold and invert the mold onto a serving plate. Gently shake to release the mold and unwrap completely. Serve with toasted croutons or crackers.

MOUSSELINE DE FRUIT DE MER

Steps:

• For the filling Warm a saute pan with a small amount of olive oil. Take the diced shrimp, finely diced elbow lobster meat, and diced sea scallop, and sear lightly. Remove the remaining lobster meat from the shell and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Reserve this lobster meat and the whole shrimp and scallops in the refrigerator. Add the diced vegetables and saute for 1 minute. Deglaze with the vermouth. Bring the ingredients to boil and simmer for 1 minute. Strain, reserving the seafood and vegetables and the liquid separately. Return the liquid to the saute pan. Add the heavy cream and a small amount of beurre-manie, and bring to a boil. Add back the seafood and vegetable mixture. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and the chopped tarragon. Set aside.
• For the Fish Mousse: Put the chopped fish in a food processor and run it at high speed until the fish has a very tight consistency. Now add the egg while the machine is running and then the heavy cream. Run until the fish mousse has a shiny and bright consistency. Add salt, pepper and cayenne pepper for seasoning, set in cool place.
• Butter 6 small stainless steel cups, 1 1/2-inch diameter and approximately 2 inches deep. Take a small amount of fish mousse in pastry bag with a small opening, and coat the bottom and the inner sides of the buttered cup with a thin layer of the fish mousse repeat 5 more times with the remaining cups. Now take the seafood filling and fill up almost to the very top of the cup. Take a small amount of fish mousse and cover the opening with it. Set aside.
• Assembly: Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Fill a roasting pan that will fit all 6 molds in it, halfway with hot water. Place the molds in the water and place in the oven. Bake for approximately 8 to 10 minutes.
• While timbale is baking, warm a frying pan, add a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil and quickly saute the reserved shrimp, scallops, and lobster. Place warm sauerkraut in center of warmed plates, set the seafood around it, garnish with the diced tomatoes and cooked vegetable pearls. Place the fish mousse timbales upside down in the center of the sauerkraut, remove the stainless steel cup. Garnish with caviar and quail eggs. Mix the champagne sauce and spoon it around the seafood. Finish with chervil and chopped chives. Serve immediately.
• In a small bowl, mix together the butter and flour until they are well combined and a paste is formed.
• Sweat the diced onions in small amount of butter without giving color. Set the sauerkraut atop and add the Champagne, water, bouquet garni, bay leaf, juniper berries and seasoning. Cook on low heat for approximately 15 minutes. Set aside in warm place.
• Sweat the shallots with the peppercorns in a small amount of butter in a saute pan, without giving any color to the shallots. Deglaze with the vermouth and the champagne. Add the parsley stems and reduce down to 1/3. Add the chicken or fish stock, and reduce down again to 1/3. Now add the heavy cream and mix in the butter. Simmer the sauce for 1 minute and season with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. Set aside in warm place.

CREAMY SHRIMP MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the soup, cream cheese and mayonnaise. Cook and stir over medium heat until smooth; remove from the heat; set aside. , Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Cook and stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved. , Transfer to a large bowl; cool slightly. Add the shrimp, onion, celery and cream cheese mixture. , Transfer to a lightly greased 6-cup mold. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. , Unmold onto a lettuce-lined serving plate. Garnish with parsley if desired. Serve with crackers. Refrigerate leftovers.

SEAFOOD AND FISH MOUSSE SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Chill processor bowl and metal blade in refrigerator.
• Cut chilled salmon into large pieces, and process until smooth. You may need to do this in several batches.
• With motor running slowly add egg whites and cr eme fra^iche.
• Place salmon in bowl with salt and pepper, paprika, parsley, lobster, shrimp, Pernod, anise seeds and green onion.
• Using sausage stuffer, stuff into casing, and tie off at 3-inch intervals.
• Poach in salted water for 15 minutes. To serve, reheat in poaching liquid.

SEAFOOD MOLD

Steps:

• Dissolve gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water and let sit.
• Mix liquid crab boil (vary amount according to taste) with 1/4 cup water in small bowl. Soak seafood in crab boil mixture. (If using shrimp, cook until done first, then let soak.)
• Chop onions and pepper in food processor or blender. Slowly melt butter in skillet and sauté onion and pepper mixture until soft and onions are clear. Remove from pan and set aside.
• In the same pan used to cook the onions, add soup and cream cheese and melt over low heat until the cream cheese is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cream cheese burns easily, so stir constantly. Add dissolved gelatin and Worcestershire sauce to taste. The mixture will thicken as you stir. Turn off heat.
• Remove seafood from crab boil mixture, drain, and chop in food processor until smooth. Add to cream cheese mixture. Add onion mixture and mix well. Add Creole seasoning to taste.
• Pour in mold or shallow dish and refrigerate overnight or at least 3 hours, until thickened (it will set just like Jello).
• Release mold onto serving platter and garnish with cilantro. Serve.

TOMATO SHRIMP MOUSSE

Steps:

• Heat soup just to boiling.
• Soften gelatine in cold water in a large bowl.
• Pour hot soup over gelatine.
• Stir until dissolved.
• Beat in cream cheese and next 4 ingredients.
• Stir in shrimp, celery and onions.
• Pour mixture into a 1 1/2 quart mold.
• Chill until firm.
• Can be refrigerated over night or 24 hours.
• Unmold on platter.
• This can be used as a spread for crackers for hors d' oeuvres or molded in a square Pyrex casserole and cut out in separate servings as an entree for luncheon or dinner.
• Serve on lettuce leaf with a green vegetable and fresh fruit.

SHRIMP MOUSSE (MOUSSE DE CREVETTES)

Steps:

• Put the shrimp and egg into the container of a food processor. Add salt, pepper, cayenne and nutmeg. Blend to a fine puree.
• With the motor on, gradually add the cream. Test the seasonings by dropping a teaspoon of the mousse mixture into a little boiling salted water. Cook until it is slightly firm. Drain and taste. If desired, add more seasonings.