Roquefort Mousse With Poached Pears And Crunchy Almonds

 

 

 

 

 This week, the whole city of Lima is in excitement.
Mistura, Latin America's largest festival of cuisine has opened its doors.
In literally every corner there is something cooking, frying, steaming or baking.
As I'm still in convalescence, I didn't have the energy to visit Mistura. It's always crowded and people are queuing up to visit the different stands.
But I was following the event on TV and everything looked very impressive.
It's a time when people celebrate the nation's rich culinary tradition, incredible biodiversity to the rhythm of dances and folk music from all over the country.
the fair is divided in five sections:
1. The Grand Market
where more than 250 producers and farmers display their regional products.

 2. The Bazaar
Side by side you can admire the latest  kitchen products and accessories.
Additionally, the best known gastronomic schools and academies offer information about their courses and professional careers.
3. The Bakery Stand
this stand attracts visitors not only by the sight but as well for the beautiful aromas of freshly baked bread and sweets. More than 50 varieties of bread made with wheat, sweet potato, potato, sugar cane and a vast variety of Andean herbs are offered here.
4. The Chocolate stand
Peruvian Cocoa is known and appreciated for it's outstanding quality.
This stand is a paradise for chocolate lovers.
5.The Pisco and Coffee Salon.
Pisco is Peru's flagship liquor and here you can savor the best Pisco's, enjoy it's incredible aromas and flavors and learn about the production of this exquisite liquor.
The stand makes as well the delight of all coffee lovers. Coffee is produced in a region between Andeans and the jungle and is of outstanding quality.
I remember when we lived in Switzerland and I met an high executive from Nestle. When I mentioned that we where going to Peru, he told me: for me, they have the best coffee beans in the world. You can imagine how amazed and proud I felt after that!
If you want to see more about Mistura, click the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F0nHXVGyaE

After so much reading and watching people cooking, I got hungry.
I opened my fridge and found a piece of gorgeous Roquefort.
So why not try out an elegant Roquefort mousse with poached pears?
I tried this once at an Embassy dinner but didn't have the exact measurements and wasn't sure if I could recall all the ingredients.
After a quick check I had  cheese, crème fraiche and pears. Only walnuts and Rosemary were missing which wasn't a big deal to buy. Instead of walnuts I found only almonds, which tasted as good in this mousse as the original walnuts.
The result of the recipe was truly amazing.
The soft texture of the Roquefort and the natural sweetness of pears and the crunchy almonds made a perfect combination.
Here is what you need:
100g of Rouqefort  (softened,at room temperature)
1/2 cup of  crème fraiche
1/2 pear, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/2 cup dry wine
1 teaspoon lemon zest
 1/2l water
1 small rosemary twig
1 clove
4 walnuts or almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
1 thin slice of Prosciutto, and split into 4 pieces.
 Instructions:


Place water with sugar, white wine, cloves, lemon zest and rosemary in a small pot.

 bring to simmer, place pear cubes in it and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until pear is soft al dente
Strain pear cubes and dry with a kitchen towel.
Set aside.
Place the softened Roquefort and crème fraiche in a bow and whisk until mixture is soft and creamy.

 If necessary, add a little bit more crème fraiche or pear liquid.
Add the pear cubes and mix carefully.
Serve in shot glasses and sprinkle with the toasted walnuts.

Chill for about 1/2 hour before serving.
Place 1 crispy prosciutto piece for decoration on the top of the mousse.(See instructions for the crisp prosciutto at Breakfast De Luxe)
Serves 2 p.

Enjoy!