Rhubarb mousse is an ideal summer dessert

Rhubarb is the ultimate flavour for spring or early summer. From rhubarb tart and rhubarb crumble to rhubarb bellinis and rhubarb ice cream, I could cook with rhubarb until the end of days. Custard with rhubarb mellows out the sharp tangy flavour and while I love a rhubarb and custard tart, you can’t beat rhubarb all on its own. 

This fresh, sweet and frothy rhubarb mousse is just the dessert for an early summer’s day. Unlike most mousses, this contains no cream, making it a lighter version. Instead, this recipe uses beaten egg whites to create the mousse effect.

You will need:

  • 500g rhubarb
  • juice of half an orange
  • 50g / 2oz caster sugar
  • 6 sheets leaf gelatine
  • 1 tbsp raspberry jam strained through a sieve
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs separated

Stew the rhubarb over a medium heat with the caster sugar and orange juice for 10-15 minutes until soft. Meanwhile, soak the leaf gelatine in a bowl of cold water for five to 20 minutes. Remove the gelatine from the bowl of water and squeeze out any excess liquid.

Whisk

Remove the rhubarb from the heat, add the leaf gelatine to the pan and whisk until the jelly has dissolved.

Stir in the butter until it has melted and then transfer the mixture to a wide bowl and leave to cool slightly. Add the egg yolks and the strained jam and blend with a hand blender until smooth.

In a pyrex or stainless steel bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Ensure the bowl is bone dry before dropping in the egg whites. Any trace of moisture and the eggs won’t whisk properly. With a large metal spoon, add the eggs whites a third at a time and gently fold into the rhubarb mixture. Lift the spoon up to make sure plenty of air gets in.

Transfer the mousse to the fridge and leave to set for four hours or ideally overnight. Serve with some fresh berries and garnish with a strip of pink rhubarb.

For individual desserts, divide the mousse mixture into sundae glasses and chill as normal to allow it to set.

Rhubarb and elderflower always bond well together and as this recipe has no cream in it, you can always serve this mousse with some elderflower cream. Beat 250ml double cream until soft peaks form. Fold two tablespoons of a good quality elderflower cordial into the cream and serve.