Artichoke & Mortadella Mousse with Parmesan Waffles - WHB # 318

 la ricetta in italiano qui

This recipe was the last one I blogged about in Italian at the end of the year just passed away, and it was a very delicate treat on our festive table.
Two simple mousse, even nicer if served with tasty parmesan waffles,  very easy to make and store.

A lovely performing dish suitable for an aperitif, as hors d'oeuvres, as delicious finger food on a buffet. 

And, most important when planning a dinner or a party, all can be prepared in advance :-) 

Serving 8/10 people:

Mortadella Mousse 

200 g mortadella without pistachios
2 tablespoons milk or cream
125 g mascarpone cheese *
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

* can be substituted by cottage cheese or cream cheese

Blend together all ingredients until smooth and creamy, if necessary sift through a sieve (I didn' do) and add a few tablespoons of milk or cream. Transfer into a sac-à-poche (pastry bag) and keep in the fridge (can be comfortably made a day ahead).

Artichoke Mousse

4 fresh artichokes *
30 g grated pecorino cheese
white wine
salt/pepper
125 g mascarpone cheese **
20 g finely chopped shallots
extravirgin olive oil

* if you have to make a large amount of mousse you can use frozen artichoke hearts
** can be replaced by ricotta cheese or cream cheese

Sauté the shallot in a little oil, add the artichokes (peeled and finely sliced), give a mix and a little fry then sprinkle with a little wine. Season with salt and pepper and cook (covered with a sheet of wet and wrung out parchment paper, so the artichokes won't oxidize) maintaining the mixture dry.  Allow to cool.
Then blend together mascarpone, artichokes and pecorino and transfer the mixtureinto a sac-à-poche (pastry bag) and keep in the fridge (can be easily made a day ahead).

Parmesan Waffles

 

200 g grated parmesan cheese
 

Line a plate with parchment paper. Evenly distribute 2 or 3 tablespoons of parmesan on the paper, should be a light coat. Go to the microwave at high power for a couple of minutes, checking after just a minute and a half, then giving 30 more seconds anywhen necessary. Must be a nice golden waffle. Allow to cool and then break up with hands.
If you want to be more precise, the waffles can be shape with the help of a round biscuit cutter (or any shape you like, heart/star/flower).
In traditional oven: bake at 200° (always on parchment paper) until the cheese begins to melt and remove baked waffles with a spatula.
As long as they are hot you can also model a little like a cannolo, wrapping each waffle on a rolling pin.
Let them cool completely in the air for a couple of hours, then they can be stored crispy for more than a week in an airtight box.

 

Serve the mousse in a jar/bowl with a couple of waffles, or make some sort of layer mini cake alternating the two mousses, or just offer single waffles with a mousse or both.
For my birthday party I put the parmesan waffles in a couple of bread paper bags and let the two mousses in two separate pastry on a tray, leaving guests free to use at thair pleasure ... also because I would not have had that time to make treats for 90 people :-)

This recipe is my personal entry to WHB # 318

I am hosting in English.

     Thanks again to Haalo who manages greatfully all events,
and to Bri for the Italian edition.
Thanks again to Kalyn for her successfull idea!

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