Monday, September 24, 2007

Fig & coconut mousse

Showing the texture of the mousse and the sauce

I don't think I am being difficult. I'm very clear what I need, and my need should be pretty much the same as most other people'. The thing is, when we first arrived here we had a girl from a relocation company worked for us, mainly in the area of searching a place to live. We requested the flat equipped with air-conditioning. That young lady, however, said such a flat was very hard to find as people here used electric fans or just opened their windows. In awe (we)! We loved our apartment having some privacy; sometime we'd check the windows and discuss about installing curtain rods. That lady jumped in with her 'people-here-don't-do-this-or-that' thing, reminding us that there were (solid) panels already installed outside the windows, people here just closed them up if felt need to, why drapes then? Before I frowned she already headed to crane down the panels... ta dah! everything went black! Well, while we see some people really "don't do this or that", there is a whole lot more do, including us, and most neighbors surrounding us!

Back to the food, or fruit. I only like eating fruit as it is, no bake no fuss, merely focus on their natural sweetness and juiciness at the peak of the life. If I had a fruit tree, that could be a different story, fruit came in abundant, so baked, jarred, or tossed with pasta ... But this time I attempted to test my limit, which actally was still low: insisting on no cooking (fruit), I explored some new taste by combining fig with coconut (the latter is dried powder). I think the flavor is really wonderful! Since it is my first time making mousse, may I suggest you going to search more recipes to compare? Thank you!

serving suggestion: fig-n-coconut mousse, fig sauce and fig slices for garnish, pastry on the side

Recipe of fig & coconut mousse (yield: 2 servings)

*I did it by estimation*

Ingredients:
For the mousse:
  • 3 - 4 ripe large figs
  • 1 tsp dry coconut powder (available at Asian grocery store)
  • 2 yolks
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar + 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup double/heavy cream, very cold
  • 1 - 2 tsp gelatin powder + spoonfuls of water

For the fig sauce:

  • 1 - 2 ripe figs, large
  • 1 tsp of sugar or to taste

To garnish: 1 fig, cut into 6 - 8 pieces

How-to:

To make the sauce: Halved the figs, scoop the pulps out, mash and mix with sugar. Cover, chill until use.

To make the mousse:

  • Halved the figs, scoop the pulps out, add in coconut powder, mash and mix until the mixture creamy.
  • Beat the cold cream to soft-peak form, cover, chill.
  • Dissolve the gelatin powder in spoonfuls of lukewarm water, which should take a few minutes. In the meantime proceed the following steps.
  • Beat the yolk over double-boiler (the bottom not touching the hot water) until it looks pale. Bring the sugar + 1/4 cup water to boil (simple syrup) in another stove. Take the bowl of yolk out, pour the boiling simple syrup into the yolk mixture and whisk immediately, until the mixture looks very creamy (which totally took me 5 minute to beat by hand). By then the mixture should be cool to touch.
  • Check if the gelatin is totally dissolve, if not, warm the mixture up and keep stirring. Combine the yolk mixture, gelatin mixture and the fig mixture until just corporated. Fold in the cream (I didn't use it all). Pour the mousse into serving cup/bowl, and chill until before serving.

To serve: place a few slices of fig on top of the mousse, drizzle a tablespoon of fig sauce over, place a bite-size simple puff pastry on the side. Best to consume the mousse on the same day.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

30 comments:

Warda said...

My dear Gattina, how I understand your "culture adventure", it was the same with me when I came to the state I didn't understand why people would have blinds instead of beautiful curtains. You are right to stand with your opinions.
As for the dessert, this mousse looks lobely. Yesterday I made a fig, almond tart and my hubby told me:"I am sure figs would go nice with coconut too". and here you are with this gorgeous mousse.

Mandy said...

this dessert is lovely!

Katie Zeller said...

Our neighbor in Andorra always kept their house shuttered...and we never did!
I like the windows open and fresh air!
Pretty mousse!

Helene said...

Welcome to Europe! After 10 years in the US, I am still not use to AC houses and windows without shutters! I ended up making my own double thick window panels...!
The dessert is heavenly and glad to have you back!

FH said...

I have gone thru' UK and US! Believe me, I even have to change the way we spell and speak here!;p
Fig Mousse looks delish!:))

Callipygia said...

oh I wish I could send you a coconut tree, an air conditioner AND some curtains... Well, the mousse looks delish and creamy anyways!

Anh said...

Gattina, it's lovely to see how people in different part of the world live! In Australia, most flats use blinds, but I am lucky enough to have lovely curtains installed :D

This dessert is lovely. I love the combo of figs and coconut. Will have to try this out some day.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

I'd never think of coconut and figs together -- what a lovely idea. I would definitely think of a/c and curtains on my windows, though, no matter what the neighbors say.

SteamyKitchen said...

I love drapes - the texture, the colors and softness. When we first moved into our new house, I decided to teach myself how to sew...to make my own curtains.

Nabeela said...

yummmm...coconut with figs. I never thought about that combination. You always come up with beautiful ideas!

Gattina Cheung said...

Rose, now you said it and I realize people in my area mostly use blinds too. A few uses both, curtains certainly look more like home! Thanks for your sweet words to the mousse *big kiss*

Mandy, thanks for your comment :)

Katie, I've just met a friend who lives between Andorra and Barcelona. One day I might go to her house and see what it's like.
Open the windows, sure for us... but wait until winter :D

Helene, in this my husband office there's always an A/C tension: his collegues from European countries tend to switch it to high, but Amercian guys start sweating. Fight fight fight, hehee!

Asha, isn't it good to have such an adaptablity!

Calli, your "too much" painting is one of the best gifts I have! Although I also long for coconut tree :)

Anh, it's ok whatever other people like. But since that girl got paid, she should do her job better (looking for options for us), otherwise I'd have searched the flat by myself or gone with our neighbors, hehee.
I can imagine how gorgeous your curtains are, from the great artistic sense you have! Have a chance to see *can't stop to stick my nose out*

Lydia, thanks for your sweet words! About figs (or most fruit), I tend to pair them with nuts (or nutty flavor as what coconut has), the flavor ususally very satisfactory to me.

Jaden, you're totally talented, nothing you can't do :)

Nabeela, oh thanks! This combo flavor is certainly lovely!

Anonymous said...

Your mousse sounds yummy! Interesting combination of flavors...wish I could have a bite :)

Unknown said...

This mousse is lovely. Seems like you've changed your mind about mousse ya? *wink*

Anita said...

Gattina, sounds like you're having a great adventure over there! And what a beautiful dessert you made - I"m dying for a bite!

aminah said...

shuttered windows turn a perfectly sunnily bright room dark, which is fine when it is really hot out but less ok when it's autumn and there is a chill in the air. Go for the curtains Gattina...I recently bought yards of silk to make curtains for my living room and they have turned out not bad at all!
ps when you say "cup" in your measurements...what are we talking about in grams or millilitres??

Anonymous said...

I also enjoy my fruits as-is, but that's because I don't know how to bake :O ...even if I had a garden of fruit trees, I would just eat my fruits, or maybe add them in salads.

Pooja said...

Hey gattina,
nice to see you again here rocking with nice recipes...

this mousse looks too yummy !
i have passed on an ward to you , pick it up from my blog dear : )
take care
-Pooja.

Anonymous said...

Hi Gattina:

I love your fig recipe. Yum, yum, yum! ;-) What an interesting adventure you're having in your new homeland. ;-)

Paz

Gattina Cheung said...

Joey, I'll VIP reserve a nice serving for you when you come :)

Angie, hehee... still not care those mousse on cake. But just a little cup as a dessert, nice!

Anita, thanks for the sweet words Sweetie! I'm very glad the combo come out very nice. When I was supposed to do the tasting, I didn't realized I'd already gulped down one serving :)

Aminah, I'm imagining how gorgeous the silk you bought! Everytime I was just stunned at the department which selling fabrics... I've put up drapes, sort of like Indian-style sarongs-alike fabric.
Thanks for reminding me about "cup"! In Amercia we don't use scale to measure our ingredients, we use Amercian standard measuring cups (and spoons). Here is a conversion if you feel need to. In my coming recipes I will be more carefully in writing. Thanks!

Tigerfish, oh please don't be so humble eh :) Fruit is really so good on its own, why bother to butter it or bake it. (psst... but I dislike apple, so I love putting apples in baked goods, heeheee)

Pooja, my lovely girl! Thanks for the award, it is honorable to get it from you. I will take my time to check out the details. Hey, your recipes are better than ever, can't wait to try more, but have to know my whereabouts (esp asian grocery stores) first.

Gattina Cheung said...

Paz! big hug to you!

Cynthia said...

I've never had figs before but I'm sure that paired with that coconut mousse, it must be spoon-licking good :)

So what are you going to do about the drapes and the 'people-here-don't-do-this-or-that' thing?

Amy said...

This dessert is so simple and elegant! I'm like you, I love to eat fruit fresh and at their peak, I rarely bake with them.

Saffron said...

I know, it's always difficult cope with different habits. I'm sure you'll become soon a very catalan girl! Great mousse! I't's time I start to cook again!
Baci

sunita said...

The mousse looks heavenly...I simply adore figs :)

Blue Zebra said...

Wow Gattina what an awesome photo and type treatment! I would never think of doing fig mousse. How cool! Beautiful and enticing looking recipe and photos girlie!

BZ

Kelly-Jane said...

Hurray you are back blogging :)

Great mousse. Hope that you get settled in properly soon :)

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Fig sauce, now that's sounds really excellent! Like this one very much! So happy to have you back again. Moving is such a wild adventure. Funny about the shutters and curtains things. I could not survive Texas without AC but Seattle and Michigan are fine without.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

A delicious looking mousse! Really wonderful!

Mansi said...

wow, this is my first time to your blog and i love it!! the pics are amazing, and so are the recipes!!

I'd like to invite you to participate in the AFAM-Peach event that I'm hosting on my blog this month! I'd be happy to have one of your entries in the roundup:)

Gattina Cheung said...

hi mansi, thank you so much for your sweet words, and your invitation to AFAM. I wish I had enough time and joined the fun... however, I'm back to (language) school which takes up a lot of my spare time (you'll notice I even can't update my blog as often as before). I'm afraid I have to give it a miss... but I will stay tune to your fab round-up!