Umami Coconut and Black Sesame Mousse with Candied Fish Sauce Pearls
This sophisticated Vietnamese dessert offers a unique interplay of savory and sweet notes. A rich, creamy mousse infused with coconut milk and toasted black sesame is contrasted by delicate, chewy pearls bursting with the complex umami of fermented fish sauce.
Prep Time
180 min
Difficulty
Hard
Servings
6
Calories
350 kcal
Instructions
- 1
For the mousse: Bloom the gelatin sheets in cold water for 5 minutes.
~5 min - 2
In a medium saucepan, whisk together coconut milk, half of the sugar (50g), and egg yolks until smooth.
- 3
Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon (custard consistency), about 8-10 minutes. Do not boil.
~10 min - 4
Remove from heat. Squeeze excess water from the bloomed gelatin and stir it into the hot custard until fully dissolved.
~2 min - 5
Grind the toasted black sesame seeds into a fine powder using a food processor.
~3 min - 6
Whisk the black sesame powder into the custard until well combined. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to ensure smoothness. Let it cool to room temperature.
~5 min - 7
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream with the remaining sugar (50g) until medium peaks form.
~5 min - 8
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled coconut-sesame mixture until just combined. Pour the mousse into serving glasses.
~3 min - 9
Cover the glasses with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until set.
~240 min - 10
For the fish sauce pearls: In a small bowl, dissolve the sodium alginate into 500ml of water using a whisk or immersion blender until smooth. Let rest for 30 minutes to allow air bubbles to dissipate.
~30 min - 11
In a separate small bowl, mix the fish sauce with corn syrup and 30ml of the sodium alginate solution.
~2 min - 12
In a larger bowl, dissolve the calcium chloride in 500ml of water. This is your calcium bath.
~2 min - 13
Transfer the fish sauce mixture to a syringe. Carefully drip small amounts of the fish sauce mixture into the calcium bath, allowing the pearls to form.
~10 min - 14
Let the pearls sit in the bath for about 1-2 minutes to set. Gently remove them with a slotted spoon and rinse them briefly in a bowl of clean water.
~3 min - 15
Serve the chilled mousse topped with a few of the candied fish sauce pearls just before serving.
Tips
- For smoother mousse, ensure the custard is well strained and cooled completely before folding in the whipped cream. This prevents the gelatin from reacting unevenly.
- The fish sauce pearls should be made just before serving to maintain their texture and prevent them from dissolving in the mousse.
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