Mousse

A hot or cold food dish, most often associated with rich, whipped ingredients that provide an airy texture to the dish being prepared. A mousse can be a sweet dessert made from pureed fruit or flavored custard mixed with gelatin, whipped cream and/or beaten egg whites. The dessert is chilled or frozen and generally molded. Or a mousse can be a hot savory dish made with cheese, fish shellfish, meat, or vegetables that are combined with beaten egg whites to provide the airy texture common in mousse dishes. Since curdling will typically occur with egg whites combined with the savory foods, a water bath is used during the food preparation.