Parmesan Mousse with Pears & Spicy Pecans
It had never occurred to me to make a mousse out of cheese until I read about this Parmesan Mousse with Pears in Red Wine Sauce that Ilva posted over at Lucullian Delights.
Ilva found the recipe in a magazine and reduced the proportion of mousse to fruit as the Parmesan flavor is so strong. I too found the Parmesan flavor to be quite strong and rich, so I have doubled the fruit and added some spicy pecans for a textural contrast in my version. This is a delicious unique dessert, perfect for anyone who finds the best dessert to be a nice wedge of cheese.
Parmesan Mousse with Pears & Spicy Pecans
serves 4
100g grated Parmesan
3/4 c cream
2 large pears
2 T sugar
2 T honey
2/3 c red wine
3 T maple syrup
1 T sugar
3/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/8 t cayenne
1 1/2 c pecans
Bring the cream to the boil in a small saucepan. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until it dissolves. Pass the mixture through a strainer and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until set.
Preheat the oven to 325F.
Dice the pear and saute with the sugar and honey for a minute before adding the wine. Let reduce until thick.
While the sauce is reducing, make the spicy pecans. Combine the spices and sugar with the maple syrup and stir to combine. Add the pecans, stirring gently to coat. Transfer to a greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes. Stir the pecans to coat evenly and continue baking until the pecans are golden and the coating bubbles, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a piece of foil and quickly separate the nuts from each other. You will have more than enough nuts for this recipe, save most of them for future use (they’re great on salads).
To assemble, shape the mousse into quenelles and top with the pear sauce and a scattering of the spicy pecans.
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