Seabuckthorn mousse with oats and pine meringue
serves eight
Mousse base
100g butter
100g dark brown sugar 200g porridge oats
Method: Melt the butter in a sauce pan and then add the sugar. Cook this out for about two minutes until the butter and sugar has come together. Add the oats and stir thoroughly. Spread this mixture into the base of a 20cm springform cake tin and bake in an oven at 210 º C for 10 minutes. Take out and allow to fully cool.
Sea buckthorn mousse
140g sea buckthorn juice
3 large egg yolks 160g caster sugar
200g double cream
110g egg whites (3 large)
Method: Put the buckthorn juice into a sauce pan and reduce by one third. Whisk the yolk and 130g of sugar in a mixing bowl until thick and fluffy and then add the sea buckthorn juice. Soak the gelatine in cold water until softened. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook out until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and then add the softened gelatine. Set this aside and allow to cool.
Whisk the double cream until it has soft peaks and fold the yolk mixture into this. Now whisk the egg white until fluffy and slowly add the remaining sugar while still whisking to make soft glossy peaks. Fold the egg white into the yolk mixture in three stages, making sure it is thoroughly combined. Pour the mixture into the tin on top of the oats and allow it to set in the fridge overnight.
Pine meringue
3 egg whites
130g caster sugar
10g pine needles (Douglas Fir) Dehydrate the needles in a low oven for about
2-3 hours until fully dry and brittle. Blend into a powder. Whisk the egg whites until fluffy and then add the sugar gradually while still mixing. Add the pine and continue to whisk until it forms stiff peaks.
To Serve: Remove the mousse from the fridge and release it from the tin. Pipe or spread the
meringue on top of the mousse. Lightly blowtorch the top and then slice to serve.