Broccoli Mousse

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Yes, you can make a mousse out of broccoli – or pretty much any other vegetable that takes your fancy. It’s really just a soft meringue with attitude.

Here’s what you do:

Assemble;

· 450g broccoli
· 100g fromage frais
· 2 egg yolks and 4 egg whites
· salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F and prepare a Bain Marie*.

Cook the broccoli until tender, either by steaming or by placing in a microwave bag with one teaspoon of water and microwaving on HIGH for 4 minutes. Allow to drain.

Put the fromage frais, broccoli, salt and pepper into a blender and process until blended but still textured. That way it still looks edible when finished. Blend it too much and it will still work and be delicious, but just looks like a pale green slab of something.

The next step is to put the mix into a bowl and stir in the lightly beaten yolks. Beat the whites with a fork so that they are foamy and fold them into the mix as well.

You are going to want to turn this out once it’s cooked, so put it into a lightly oiled, non-stick loaf tin, or one which you have lined with baking foil; even baking parchment.

Spoon the mix into this, put it in the Bain Marie* and bake in the oven for 50 minutes or so until firm. Leave to cool a little before turning out.

Serve sliced as a vegetable or even as a starter with a savory sauce such as tomato, mushroom or even hollandaise.

* Bain Marie: this is simply a dish, such as a roasting tin, half full of hot water. It helps to ensure even cooking and also prevents the mixture from drying out by creating a moist atmosphere in the oven.