Preparation steps
- To prepare the Sainte Maure mousse, crush cheese in a bowl. Meanwhile, soften the gelatine in lukewarm water. When soft, squeeze out in your hand and gently melt in a saucepan. Mix honey and melted gelatine into cheese.
- Whip chilled cream with a hand mixer to obtain a Chantilly cream. Season with table salt, pepper and Espelette pepper.
- Carefully fold whipped cream into cheese mixture and chill for around 2 hours.
- Preheat barbecue to 250°C.
- Wash peppers and cut in half, remove ribs (pith) and stalk then put underneath barbecue hood.
- When skin begins to blacken and split, remove from barbecue and place in a recipient with a lid. The condensation will help you remove the skin. Grill the washed, chopped courgette.
- Wash and chop remaining vegetables (tomatoes, cucumber, garlic clove) and mix with the grilled peppers and courgette, basil leaves, bread, olive oil and sherry vinegar. Add a little water if required. Season with table salt, pepper and Espelette pepper.
- Leave to marinate for at least an hour. Blend in food processor until you have a smooth, even soup. Set aside in a cool place.
- To serve, pour soup into bowls. Top each bowl with a generous quenelle of honeyed Sainte Maure mousse and garnish with a few basil leaves.
😉 Tip: You can make this into an Andalusian gazpacho by using just tomatoes. The honeyed mousse can be made with a different soft cheese, either goats’ or cows’.
