Zees Wine Bar & Grill’s Strawberry Mousse
A Taste of Summer Elegance
As the days grow longer and the warmth of summer begins to embrace us, our thoughts naturally turn to the vibrant flavors of the season. And what better way to capture this essence than with a luscious Strawberry Mousse?
This light and airy dessert transforms simple ingredients into a sophisticated and flavorful dessert. This mousse showcases the vibrant taste of strawberries in a smooth and creamy form. Ideal for a summer soirée or a casual afternoon treat.
Recipe compliments of Executive Chef Trevor Gleave from Zees Wine Bar & Grill at The Shaw Club.
Ingredients for the Mousse
Serves 6 people
1 lb 16 oz Frozen strawberries, fully defrosted
1 envelope (1 tbsp + 1 tsp or 8 g) Gelatin
1/4 cup Limoncello or Grand Marnier Liqueur
8 oz Cream cheese
4 tbsp Sugar
3 oz White chocolate
1/4 cup Lemon curd
1 tbsp Pure Tahitian vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon or orange, grated with a zester
1 1/2 cup Whipped cream
8 large Strawberries for decoration
8 Mint leaves
Method for the Mousse
- Defrost the strawberries at least 8 hours before making the recipe. Save the water that drains from the berries (no more than 1/4 cup).
- In a small bowl, top the gelatin with the liqueur and the water from the strawberries. Let bloom for 5 minutes.
- Process the drained berries in a food processor until very smooth.
- In a saucepan, combine the gelatin mixture, cream cheese, sugar, white chocolate, processed berries, lemon curd, vanilla extract, and citrus zest. Heat over very low heat and mix until well blended. Bring to a boil and use an immersion blender if necessary to smooth out the mixture until very smooth. Transfer to a large glass or stainless steel bowl. Place in the freezer or on an ice bath and mix every 10 minutes until the temperature is about 40ºF / 5ºC.
- Whip the cream to a firm whipped cream.
- Using a spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cooled strawberry mixture.
- Pour the mousse into cold glasses and refrigerate for at least 5 – 6 hours.
- Before serving, top the mousse with strawberry sauce and whipped cream, and decorate with reserved strawberries and mint leaves.
Ingredients for the Strawberry Sauce
2 pints/ 8 oz each Fresh strawberries
1/4 cup Sugar (if needed)
1 pinch Salt
1/4 cup Grand Marnier Liqueur or your favorite orange liqueur or orange juice
Zest of one orange
Method for the Strawberry Sauce
- Clean and roughly chop the strawberries.
- In a large bowl, add the strawberries, sugar, salt, orange liqueur, and orange zest. Let the mixture macerate for at least 4 – 6 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Test a couple of strawberries to make sure they are sweet enough. If they are not, add more sugar. If they are too sweet, add some lemon juice.
- Purée the mixture in a blender until very smooth.
- Serve the strawberry sauce as desired.