Jay has always been really excited about trying new Vietnamese ingredients but now that he’s officially becoming a Bui, I look for even more opportunities to make family favorite dishes and incorporate Asian inspired flavors into our every day meals. The easiest way for me to do this is to use lots of fresh herbs. Vietnamese recipes are so rich with fresh herbs from the garden, making it one of the lightest and freshest cuisines, in my humble opinion. However, since it is Christmas, I’m going to indulge in a little bit of that decadent American sweet tooth with a fresh and creamy Thai Basil mousse.
I always associate mousse with fancy Michelin starred restaurants but as it turns out, it’s incredibly easy to make at home. A basic mousse is literally two ingredients: heavy cream and sugar. Toss in a little bit of flavoring, whether it be Nutella, vanilla, coffee or in this case Thai basil and you’ve got yourself a five star dessert. For another Asian variation, substitute the Thai Basil for 2 teaspoons of green tea/matcha powder for subtle yet powerful punch.
Thai Basil Mousse
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves
- peanuts, for garnish
Instructions
- Use an electric mixer to beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. This should take about 3-5 minutes.
- In a food processor, blend Thai basil leaves and sugar. Strain and discard crushed leaves.
- Pour remaining strained liquid into the heavy cream. Stir with a spoon.
- Distribute mousse into serving cups and chill for at least 1 hour.
