Smoked Honey & Lavender...Smoked Honey & Lavender Goat Cheese Mousse

An avant-garde dessert balancing the tartness of fresh chèvre with the aromatic depth of lavender-infused cream and the complexity of cold-smoked honey.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Bloom the gelatin sheets in a bowl of ice-cold water for 5-10 minutes until soft.

2. 02

   In a small saucepan, heat 100ml of the heavy cream with the lavender buds until it reaches a gentle simmer. Remove from heat and let infuse for 10 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

3. 03

   Squeeze excess water from the gelatin and whisk it into the warm lavender cream until fully dissolved.

4. 04

   In a large bowl, whisk the softened goat cheese and smoked honey until smooth. Slowly incorporate the lavender-infused cream.

5. 05

   Whip the remaining 150ml of heavy cream to soft peaks and gently fold it into the goat cheese mixture in three stages to maintain aeration.

6. 06

   Pipe the mousse into silicone molds or glass coupes and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set.

7. 07

   To make the praline, melt the sugar in a pan until it turns a deep amber caramel. Stir in the walnuts, then pour onto a parchment-lined tray to cool. Once hardened, crush into small shards.

8. 08

   For the coulis, macerate the blackberries with lemon juice and a teaspoon of sugar, then press through a sieve to create a smooth sauce.

9. 09

   Plate the mousse by unmolding or serving in the coupe, drizzling with blackberry coulis, and garnishing with walnut praline shards and a few fresh lavender blossoms.