Equipment
Ingredients
Base Mixture
- 300 g cooked lobster meat, chilled
- 5 g unflavored gelatin powder
- 30 ml cold water
- 50 g mayonnaise, full fat
- 15 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 15 ml cognac
- 10 g tomato paste
Seasoning and Aeration
- 200 ml heavy cream, very cold
- 5 g fresh tarragon, finely minced
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 1 g white pepper, ground
- ½ g cayenne pepper
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 228 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbohydrates
- 2 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 502 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 114 mg
- Potassium
- 195 mg
- Calcium
- 82 mg
- Iron
- 0.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 28 mg
- Phosphorus
- 116 mg
- Zinc
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 144 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 2 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 15 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 0.9 mg
- Folate
- 8 mcg
- Water
- 69 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place cold water in a small mixing bowl and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin powder evenly over the surface. Let it bloom undisturbed for 5 minutes.
Separate one third of the cooked lobster meat and chop it finely into small, distinct pieces to provide texture. Set this chopped meat aside.
Place the remaining cooked lobster meat, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cognac, tomato paste, fine sea salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper into a food processor. Blend until a completely smooth puree forms.
Transfer the bloomed gelatin mixture to a small saucepan. Warm gently over low heat until it reaches approximately 40°C/104°F and turns completely liquid and clear. Do not let it boil.
Pour the melted gelatin into the food processor with the lobster puree. Pulse several times until the gelatin is seamlessly incorporated into the mixture. Transfer this mixture to a medium mixing bowl.
In a clean mixing bowl, whip the cold heavy cream with a whisk until it reaches soft peaks. The cream should hold a slight shape but remain soft and billowy.
Gently fold the chopped lobster meat, minced fresh tarragon, and the whipped cream into the pureed lobster mixture using a silicone spatula, using a figure-eight motion to maintain aeration.
Transfer the mousse into a lightly oiled 3-cup terrine mold or divide evenly among individual ramekins. Smooth the top with the spatula and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Place the mold in the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours to allow the gelatin to set the mousse completely into a sliceable or spreadable consistency.
Chef's Notes
- For the absolute best flavor, steam your own live lobsters and utilize both the meat and the resulting flavorful steaming liquid in place of the cold water to bloom the gelatin.
- Whipping the cream to soft peaks rather than stiff peaks is the secret to a professional mouthfeel. Stiff cream will result in a grainy, separated texture when folded.
- The tiny amount of tomato paste does not flavor the dish but rather restores the appetizing coral-pink hue that can be diluted by the white heavy cream.
- White pepper is essential here instead of black pepper to maintain a pristine, elegant appearance free of black specks.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Keep tightly wrapped to prevent the surface from drying out or absorbing refrigerator odors.
Troubleshooting
Gelatin forms stringy lumps in the mousse
Cause: The lobster puree was too cold, causing the warm gelatin to set instantly upon contact
Fix: Cannot be fixed once incorporated and set, but the flavor remains intact
Prevention: Ensure the lobster base is closer to room temperature before adding the melted gelatin, or temper the gelatin by stirring a spoonful of the cold puree into the warm gelatin first
Mousse is too dense or heavy
Cause: Cream was overwhipped to stiff peaks, or the mixture was folded too aggressively
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Whip cream only to soft peaks and fold gently just until no white streaks remain
Mousse fails to release from the mold
Cause: Mold was not oiled properly or the mousse is too cold and rigid against the walls
Fix: Dip the bottom of the mold in warm water for 5 to 10 seconds before inverting again
Prevention: Lightly oil the mold or line it with plastic wrap before filling
Cultural Context
Savory seafood mousses, or mousselines, are a cornerstone of classical French garde manger, reflecting the culinary philosophy of transforming simple ingredients into sophisticated, ethereal textures. Originally prepared by pounding fresh seafood through fine drum sieves, the modern food processor has made this once labor-intensive centerpiece accessible for elegant entertaining.
