Mushrooms With Mortadella Mousse

Photo: Carmelita Caruana

Ingredients

100 grams (3 ½ ounces) Mortadella di Bologna I.G.P

4 very large mushrooms

50 mls (¼ cup) fresh cream

Balsamic Syrup (optional):

30 grams (1 ounce) sugar

25 mls (1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons) water

40 mls (2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons) ordinary Balsamic vinegar

Washed dried salad leaves for serving

Preparation

Wipe the mushrooms clean; remove stalks and reserve for another use

Brown the mushrooms caps without using any fat on both side in a non stick pan. At a certain point liquid will from inside the caps: when it does turn them over so that it drains out. Continue till golden brown on both sides Remove from the pan and place upside down on a plate to drain off excess liquid.

Chop the Mortadella finely then place in a small processor or whiz with a stick blender. Add the cream and whiz again. Add water as needed to achieve a nice creamy texture.

Empty the Mortadella mousse into a bowl; season with a little pepper only-- it is already salty enough.

Place the sugar and water in a pan and cook until almost all the water has evaporated. Let the sugar caramelise then deglaze the pan carefully with 40 ml of ordinary Balsamic Vinegar; "carefully" means you add just a little of the vinegar to being with as it will spit and sizzle when it hits the pan.

Allow the liquid to reduce till syrupy. It will stay liquid while it is hot so place a drop on a cold saucer to test the consistency at room temperature. If it is too thick dilute with water and test again. If it is too thin and runny reduce further. Leave to cool.

Fill each cap with some of the Mortadella mousse, making a dome on top so there is lots of filling.

Place salad leaves on each of four serving plates with 1 or more mushroom caps on top of the leaves.

Make a depression in the centre of the Mousse and drizzle the Balsamic reduction into this and on and around the mushroom caps.