– and why it is always wise to have a second version ready
You know, cooking for television is a bit like walking a tightrope.
There is the pressure of time, the spotlights in your face — and then exactly the thing happens that really should not happen. During our ORF recordings, we had one day with three shoots in a row. Under those circumstances, it is almost inevitable that not everything goes perfectly smoothly.
Two days earlier, we had still been joking about Johann Lafer accidentally mixing up sugar and salt on Kerner’s Köche — one of those classic mishaps that is very easy to laugh about when it happens to someone else. Well, what can I say? During the recording of our chestnut mousse, almost the same thing happened to us. I was the “poor soul” who got to do the first taste test — and everyone had a very good laugh.
But no need to worry: we are professionals — and luckily, we had a second, “salt-free” version ready. So here is the recipe for our chestnut mousse, with no room for mix-ups.
The recipe: Chestnut mousse from Landhaus Gritschacher
Zutaten:
500 ml whipping cream
250 g peeled and cooked chestnuts, ready-cooked chestnuts are fine
milk, just a splash to soften the chestnuts
40 g sugar in total
3 eggs
2 cl Amaretto
1 tbsp grated chocolate
How to make it:
1. Chestnut purée:
Place the peeled and cooked chestnuts in a small saucepan with a little milk and one spoonful of sugar. Cook until soft, then blend everything into a thick purée.
2. Whip the cream:
Meanwhile, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
3. Egg cream:
In a mixing bowl, beat 30 g sugar with the 3 eggs until foamy. Half-fill a small saucepan with water and bring it to a gentle simmer. Place the mixing bowl over the saucepan and whisk the mixture over the steam until it thickens. Then remove the bowl from the heat and continue whisking until the mixture has cooled.
4. Combine:
Stir the chestnut purée into the egg cream until no streaks remain. Then carefully fold in half of the whipped cream.
5. Final step:
Fold the mixture into the remaining whipped cream, transfer it to a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
6. Serve:
Use a spoon to shape small quenelles, arrange them on a plate and sprinkle with grated chocolate..
Walter’s tips from the kitchen
- Tip 1:
When whipping the cream in a food processor, make sure to stay close. As soon as firm streaks appear, switch it off immediately — otherwise you will suddenly have butter instead of whipped cream. - Tip 2:
After removing the egg mixture from the steam, keep whisking until it has cooled completely. - Tip 3:
It is best to fold the chestnut purée into the whipped cream with a rubber spatula. That way, the mousse stays at its fluffiest.
The recipe for your own kitchen
Would you like to make the chestnut mousse at home in your own time? So you do not have to juggle a laptop in the kitchen, I have put the recipe together for you here as a practical printable version.