The Basic Fix For Runny Mousse
Whether it's savory or sweet, a well-made mousse can be a heavenly delight. According to Britannica, it takes its name from the French word for foam, which in itself inspires visions of light, fluffy clouds. It's this simple texture that, when properly achieved, makes mousse so wonderful and unique a dish.
Because of this expectation, messing up a mousse's texture can feel like a nightmare. The Cooking Bar notes that there are only a few components in most mousses. Celebrity chef Alton Brown swears by only using two ingredients for the ultimate luscious chocolate mousse. Getting the wrong ratio of ingredients, grabbing the wrong kind, or mixing things in the wrong order can easily spell disaster though. One such disaster is a runny mousse. As mentioned earlier, the main attraction of a mousse is its wonderful texture. So, if your mousse doesn't seem to be setting and it looks more like a soupy bowl of half-melted ice cream, there are certain steps you can take to save the day.
Use a liaison to thicken up mousse
There are several different ways to help thicken up a mousse. The Cooking Bar says that one of the best ways to thicken a mousse is called a liaison. According to The Spruce Eats, a liaison, or final liaison, is often used in cooking to thicken sauces. It can take many different shapes depending on the recipe it's being added to, but it is most often a mixture of egg yolks and heavy cream.
Livestrong points out that what makes a liaison great for thickening a mousse is that it isn't adding anything new to the recipe. Because eggs and cream are already present, you're just adding more into the mix to help things settle. The Cooking Bar points out that you can use corn starch as a thickener as well, but adding in a powdery ingredient like that can also make for a muddy mousse.
To prepare a liaison, use a double boiler method to gently warm an egg yolk with 3 tablespoons of heavy cream per 2 cups of already finished mousse. Mix occasionally, and be sure that the liaison is completely blended. Let it cool completely, and add it to the already finished mousse. Once it's cooled, whip it up again, and let it settle one more time before serving.