I love this light and fresh mousse from Belinda Harvey from her cookbook Roast Lamb in the Olive Groves, a review of which I will put on the blog shortly. This is a garlic-free tzatziki transformed into a mousse, but you can add a little garlic to it if you prefer. This dish makes a perfect starter and is a fantastic addition to a mezze. This makes around 6 slices as a starter.
Fresh Cucumber, Mint and Dill Mousse
½ cucumber
5 gelatine leaves
400g (14 oz) Greek yoghurt
handful of mint leaves, very finely chopped
1 dessertspoon finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped dill, plus a few fronds to garnish
zest of 1 lemon
squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white wine vinegar
sea salt and black pepper
Grate the cucumber and leave it for half an hour, lightly salted, in a sieve over a bowl, pressing down occasionally with the black of a wooden spoon for remove the juices. Squeeze out any remaining water before using, by placing the cucumber in a clean dry tea-towel and squeezing out over the sink.
Place the gelatine in a glass with water to soften (follow packet instructions). When soft, heat in a small saucepan with a little water until dissolved. Put the yoghurt with all the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, season to taste and fork it through to mix thoroughly.
Add in the gelatine and mix further: pour this into a small tin, dariole or jelly mould (you can use a miniature loaf tine) and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, carefully immerse the tin or mould in hot water, taking care that the water does not seep over the rim, and after a few seconds it should loosen so that you can turn it out onto a serving plate. Garnish with fronds of dill.
(Photograph by Jonathan Lovekin)
