roast plum mousse with pistachio praline

SERVES 4

For me, this is the perfect mousse in flavour and texture as the tart and fruity plums work perfectly with the softly whipped cream and egg whites.

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/GAS Mark 4. Mix the plums, honey, gin, cardamom and cinnamon in an ovenproof dish and roast for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Leave to cool then blitz until semi smooth.

USING AN ELECTRIC WHISK

Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar and the tablespoon of sugar until at soft-peak stage.

In a pan on a low heat, gently melt the 75g of sugar with a tablespoon of water until melted then increase the heat and boil until thick but not coloured.

With the motor running, trickle the hot sugar into the whipped egg whites, whisk for five minutes.

In a large bowl, whip the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla powder until stiff. Swirl in two-thirds of the plum purée then fold in the egg whites in three stages.

Divide between eight glasses and leave to chill for 2 hours.

PISTACHIO PRALINE

Cover a flat baking tray with non-stick baking paper.

In a pan, cook the sugar on a low heat until it turns a deep golden brown; add the nuts and stir.

Spread onto the tray and leave to cool. Pulse in a food processor so you have a mix of small and medium pieces.

TO SERVE

Just before serving, spoon the remaining third of purée onto each mousse and then sprinkle with praline.