Tomato Mousse

Ingredients

• 250 grams tomato flesh
• 30 grams butter
• 2 tablespoons velouté (silky stock-based sauce)
• 0.5 volume of the tomato mixture heavy cream
• to taste lemon juice
• to taste salt
• to taste cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the tomato flesh by removing all skin and seeds, then chop it coarsely.
2. Warm the butter gently and let the tomato flesh melt into it, stirring occasionally until completely softened.
3. Dissolve the gelatin leaves in the velouté, then stir this into the tomato mixture. Pass the entire preparation through a fine sieve (étamine) to remove any fibrous matter and achieve a smooth base.
4. Allow the strained mousse to cool to near room temperature. When it is almost cold, fold in half the volume of lightly whipped cream—the cream should be only half-whipped, not stiff, to preserve the mousse's silky, fresh character.
5. Taste the mousse. Adjust the seasoning: add a few drops of lemon juice if it needs brightness, salt if the flavor is flat, and a light pinch of cayenne to elevate the taste. Remember that the cream will have diluted the tomato flavor, so season generously.
6. The mousse is now ready to use as a base for plating cold fish preparations or to set in a mold.