Sea Urchin Mousse with Ginger Vinaigrette
A luxurious appetizer featuring delicate sea urchin roe transformed into a silky mousse, complemented by a bright ginger-lemon vinaigrette. This elegant dish combines the oceanic richness of uni with subtle heat from cayenne and fresh ginger.
Ingredients
- •½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- •½ cup vegetable broth
- •1 tray uni
- •1 large egg yolk
- •¼ teaspoon salt
- •½ teaspoon lemon juice
- •⅛ pinch cayenne
- •⅓ cup heavy cream
- •2 teaspoons fresh ginger
- •2 teaspoons lemon juice
- •⅛ teaspoon salt
- •3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- •1 serving garnish
- •1 piece instant-read thermometer
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Sprinkle gelatin over broth in a small saucepan and let stand 1 minute to soften, then cook over moderate heat, stirring, until dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
2 min
- 2.
Force uni through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, scraping bottom of sieve occasionally.
5 min
- 3.
Whisk in yolk, salt, lemon juice, and cayenne, then add broth mixture, whisking. Return to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until it registers 170°F on thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. (Do not let simmer or egg will curdle.) Transfer mixture to a bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until mixture is cold and the consistency of raw egg whites, about 10 minutes.
13 min
- 4.
Beat cream with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks, then fold cream into uni mixture gently but thoroughly. Chill, covered, until set, about 1 hour.
60 min
- 5.
Press hard on ginger in a small fine-mesh sieve set over a small bowl to extract 1 teaspoon juice (discard solids), then whisk in lemon juice and salt. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.
5 min
- 6.
Spoon 1/4 cup mousse onto each of 6 plates, then drizzle with some vinaigrette.
5 min
