This asparagus mousse amuse bouche topped with delicate smoked trout and dill makes an elegant dish for dinner parties.
Delicately flavored with lemon and dill, light and creamy asparagus mousse is served with a deliciously rich cold smoked trout garnish. A perfect light starter or entree idea for spring, it's one of my favorite asparagus recipes.
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Why this is the best asparagus recipe
- It's so delicious: Making homemade mousse can seem arduous as it has several steps, but the final result is worth it. The creamy, velvety texture, delicate asparagus taste, and smoked trout garnish are so elegant and refined.
- It's elevated: This is an impressive dish. It has challenging aspects, but I go through how to make asparagus mousse step by step to make it much simpler!
- You can make it ahead: I love a make-ahead starter, and this is the perfect asparagus appetizer recipe for spring parties to serve alongside some classy cocktails.
I often serve asparagus mousse as a starter or entree for spring dinner parties, followed by lamb rump roast or salmon en route - it is light enough not to fill guests up and tastes elegant and refined. And these dessert recipes will finish off your meal in style.
Making an asparagus mousse amuse bouche has several stages and can be time-consuming, but the benefit is that it can be made in advance as it needs time to chill and set.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you will need to make this asparagus mousse amuse bouche with smoked trout and dill.
- Asparagus spears: Asparagus is a Spring vegetable that is technically a form of grass! It grows upwards from the earth and is delicious as well as nutritious.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream or double cream adds a rich, creamy taste and velvety texture.
- Eggs: We use egg yolks and whites in this asparagus mousse.
- Lemon juice: Lemon elevates all the flavors and adds a touch of vital acidity and citrus zing.
- Water: Boil asparagus in water and keep some back to help liquify it.
- Gelatine powder: Gelatin is a setting agent. Agar agar is an alternative you could use instead.
- Neutral oil: We don't want any flavored oils like olive oil in our mayonnaise base. Use a neutral oil like sunflower, corn, or canola oil.
- White wine vinegar: Vinegar stabilizes the mayonnaise and helps it to emulsify.
- Dill: Fresh dill has the most amazing Spring flavor and pairs beautifully with asparagus and smoked trout.
- Cold smoked Trout: You can also use smoked salmon, but often trout is a more sustainable fish to buy, so for this reason, I often prefer to use it.
- Salt and pepper:
See the recipe card for quantities and instructions.
Instructions for asparagus mousse
How to make mayonnaise
To save time and skip a step, you can use store-bought mayonnaise instead of making your own, but you'll have the egg yolks, and homemade mayonnaise tastes so much better. I'd highly recommend you try it.
- Whisk the egg yolk with the vinegar until it thickens, and then very slowly start to add the oil drop by drop. Once you have added half the oil, you can add it slightly faster. The mayonnaise will thicken and become creamy.
- Season the mayonnaise with salt, pepper, and a splash of lemon juice to taste.
Preparing the mousse
- Prepare the asparagus. Cut the asparagus spears into one-inch pieces and bring a saucepan of salted water to a rolling boil. Prepare a mixing bowl filled with ice-cold water.
- Blanch the asparagus spears in boiling water for 3-4 minutes and then immediately remove them to the ice bath to halt the cooking process. Reserve the cooking water and 10 of the asparagus tips for a garnish.
- Blend the remaining asparagus spears in a liquidizer with the dill, using a little of the cooking water to help get it going if needed. Blend until the asparagus puree is very smooth, and season with salt and pepper.
- Whip the cream using an electric hand whisk or food processor until it is thick and gloopy but not stiff.
- Whip the egg whites until it is opaque white and has stiff peaks.
- Prepare the gelatin. Add three tablespoons of water to a small glass or jug and pour the powdered gelatin into it. Place the glass or jug into a saucepan with a small amount of hot water to help the gelatin powder dissolve into the water.
Top tip
To get this asparagus mousse to amuse bouche extra smooth, push the blended asparagus through a sieve - but don't use a sieve with too fine mesh as it simply won't go through! This conical strainer is good.
Assembling the asparagus mousse
- Stir together the gelatin, mayonnaise, blended asparagus, and lemon juice.
- Fold the whipped cream and then the meringue into the asparagus mousse mixture until it is fully combined. Add a pinch more salt, as cream always impacts the salt levels of a dish.
- Pour the asparagus mousse mixture into small serving glasses and allow to set in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.
- Serve asparagus mousse amuse bouche garnished with a curl of smoked trout, one of the reserved asparagus spears, and a sprig of fresh dill.
Wine pairing
A great wine to serve with asparagus mousse would be a sharp and powerful Sauvignon Blanc. Asparagus is quite a hard flavor to pair wine with as it's quite acidic, so it needs something that stands up to it.
Plating tips for an amuse bouche
As this is an amuse-bouche or small elegant starter for a fine dining experience at home, I like to serve this asparagus mousse in dainty glasses or even espresso cups. It is intended to be just a few bites, so keep the serving size small.
Substitutions and variations
Here are some ways to make this asparagus mousse amuse bouche suit you.
- Herbs - instead of dill, try mint for a fresh alternative.
- Smoked fish - if you cannot find smoked trout, this recipe will work with smoked salmon instead.
- Dairy-free - try using an oat cream. Coconut cream may also work, but it could overpower the asparagus flavor.
- Gelatin - another setting agent like agar agar could be used to make this a no-gelatin mousse.
Love asparagus? Try this asparagus and crispy prosciutto quiche or this comte cheese and asparagus tart.
Equipment
You will need the following equipment to make this asparagus amuse bouche.
- Four large mixing bowls
- Large saucepan
- Food processor or liquidizer
- Electric hand whisk
- Knife (I use Robert Welch)
Storage
Store any leftover asparagus mousse in the fridge and consume them within 2-3 days.
These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.
Other Spring recipes
Asparagus Mousse Amuse Bouche
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 blender or liquidiser
- 4 Mixing bowls
- 1 Chopping board
- 1 kitchen knife
- 1 electric whisk or kitchen aid
Ingredients
- 500 grams asparagus
- 1 egg white
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 140 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- 7 grams gelatin powder
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill
- salt and pepper
mayonnaise
- 100 ml sunflower oil (or other neutral oil)
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
Instructions
Mayonnaise
- Separate the egg yolk and white into separate bowls, ensuring that no egg yolk gets into the egg white.
- Whisk the egg yolk with the vinegar until it thickens, and then very slowly add the oil drop by drop at first. Once you have added half the oil, you can add it slightly faster. The mayonnaise will thicken and become creamy.
- Season the mayonnaise with salt, pepper and a splash of lemon juice to taste.
Asparagus mousse
- Cut the asparagus spears into one inch pieces and cook in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Remove them to the ice bath to halt the cooking process. Reserve the cooking water and 10 of the asparagus tips to use as a garnish.
- Blend the remaining asparagus spears in a liquidizer with the dill, using a little of the cooking water to help get it going if needed. We need the asparagus puree to be very smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
- Whip the cream until it is thick and gloopy.
- Whisk the egg white until it is opaque white and has stiff peaks.
- Add three tablespoons of water to a small glass or jug and pour the powdered gelatin into it. Place the glass or jug into a saucepan with a small amount of hot water to help the gelatin powder dissolve into the water.
- Mix the blended asparagus mixture with the lemon juice, gelatin and mayonnaise.
- Fold the whipped cream and then the meringue into the asparagus mousse mixture until it is fully combined. You may need a pinch more salt as cream always impacts the salt levels of a dish.
- Pour the asparagus mousse mixture into small serving glasses and leave to set in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.
- Garnish the asparagus mousse amuse bouche with a cold smoked trout and an asparagus tip and top with a sprig of fresh dill.
Video
Nutrition
Food safety
As this asparagus mousse recipe contains raw eggs, check that the eggs you use are from chickens vaccinated against salmonella. In the UK, the box should have the British Lion stamp which ensures this.
Ellie says
This asparagus mousse was delicious and worked so well as an amuse bouche at our dinner party! Guests were very impressed indeed, thank you!
Jess says
This is so great!
Andrea says
so elegant! love the texture of this mousse!