Textured Forest Honey &...Textured Forest Honey & Goat Cheese Mousse with Fig-Rosemary Gelée and Walnut Sablé

An elegant, multi-textured dessert balancing the earthy warmth of rosemary-infused black figs, the creamy tang of whipped goat cheese, and the buttery crunch of a walnut sablé Breton.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the Walnut Sablé Breton: In a bowl, cream the softened butter and powdered sugar together until pale. Beat in the egg yolk and fleur de sel. Fold in the finely ground walnuts and flour until a cohesive dough forms. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2. 02

   Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Roll out the sablé dough between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of 4mm. Cut out four 8cm discs using a pastry cutter. Bake on a lined tray for 12-15 minutes until beautifully golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.

3. 03

   Make the Fig & Rosemary Gelée: In a small saucepan, combine the diced figs, rosemary sprig, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and 50ml of water. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until the figs are completely soft. Remove the rosemary sprig. Puree the mixture until perfectly smooth, then return to the pan and whisk in the agar-agar. Bring to a boil for exactly 1 minute, then pour into a flat tray to create a 3mm sheet. Let it set in the fridge, then cut into small, neat cubes or delicate discs.

4. 04

   Prepare the Goat Cheese Mousse: Soak the gelatin sheet in ice-cold water for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk the soft goat cheese, forest honey, and the seeds scraped from the vanilla bean until smooth and aerated. Whip 170ml of the heavy cream to soft peaks.

5. 05

   Heat the remaining 30ml of heavy cream in a small pan. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin and dissolve it in the hot cream. Whisk the warm gelatin mixture into the goat cheese base until incorporated, then gently fold in the whipped cream in three batches to maintain a light, airy volume. Pipe the mousse into semi-sphere silicone molds and freeze for at least 2 hours to set.

6. 06

   To assemble, unmold the frozen goat cheese mousse domes and place one centrally on top of each walnut sablé disc. Allow them to temper in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving.

7. 07

   Garnish with precision: Arrange the Fig & Rosemary Gelée cubes around the base of the mousse. Gracefully place a shard of fresh honeycomb on top of each dome. Scatter micro-basil leaves around the plate and finish with a delicate dusting of wild fennel pollen.