This lemon mousse combines rich, thick, homemade lemon curd with Swiss meringue and whipped cream to make a mousse that is intensely flavored with lemon yet light and airy. A delicious citrusy ending to any meal.
4 ozfreshly squeezed and strained lemon juice113 grams or 1/2 cup
5.3ozgranulated sugar170 grams or 2/3 cup
1Tablespoonlemon zest (from 1 large lemon)6 grams
ΒΌteaspoonkosher saltI use Morton's
For the Swiss Meringue
2egg whites
2.5ozgranulated sugar70 grams or 1/3 cup
To Finish the Mousse
6ozheavy cream170 grams or 3/4 cup
Instructions
To Make the Lemon Curd
Put a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and set aside convenient to the stove.
Place all the curd ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
Turn the heat to medium-to-medium-high and, whisking constantly, cook the curd until it thickens and barely starts to bubble. As you whisk, the curd will get very foamy. As it cooks and thickens, the bubbles will dissipate. Once the bubbles are gone, you're done.
Immediately pour the curd through the waiting fine-mesh strainer to catch all the zest and any eggy bits that may be left behind. Use a silicone spatula to press the curd through, and don't forget to scrape the underside of the strainer to get all the goodness into the bowl.
Press plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and refrigerate until no warmer than room temperature, about 45 minutes.
To Make the Swiss Meringue
Use the pan you used to make the curd to make the bottom of a double boiler. Rinse the pan out--no need to wash it--and fill with about an inch of water.
Add the egg whites and sugar to a metal bowl. This can be the bowl to your stand mixer if you have one, or you can use any metal bowl. You can use glass, but it will take longer to cook since glass is an insulator.
Place the bowl of egg whites over the pan with water, and turn the heat to medium-high.
Whisk the egg white mixture continuously as the water heats. Once the water comes to a bare boil, turn the heat down to maintain a high simmer, and continue whisking and cooking the egg whites until the temperature reaches 165F.
Remove the bowl to your stand mixer and whip the meringue is silky, poofy, and at room temperature. If you don't have a stand mixer, remove the bowl from the double boiler and beat the whites using a hand mixer.
To Finish the Mousse
Take the cooled lemon curd out of the fridge, and remove the plastic wrap. Give it a stir to loosen it up a bit.
Whisk in about 1/3 of your Swiss meringue and then fold in the rest until only a few streaks remain.
Pour the heavy cream into the bowl you used to make the meringue. No need to rinse it out.
Whip the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks, then fold it gently but thoroughly into the mousse until no streaks remain.
Spoon into 4 oz servings, cover the tops, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Garnish with jam, berries, and/or whipped cream, or serve it plain. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.