Red Pepper Mousse in Endive

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup minced onions
• 1 garlic clove, minced fine
• 3 red peppers, cut into small dice
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Pinch saffron threads, crushed
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• Salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 30 endive spears
• Red pepper, slivered, for garnish

Directions

Saute the onions and garlic in the oil until golden. Add the diced peppers, stock, saffron, tomato paste, salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer until all ingredients are tender and liquid is reduced by half. Bloom the gelatin in the wine.

Puree the red pepper mixture in a blender. Add the bloomed gelatin while the red pepper mixture is still hot and blend to combine all ingredients well. Cool the mixture over an ice bath until it mounds when dropped from a spoon. Fold the whipped cream into the mixture. Transfer the mousse to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Pipe the mousse into the endive spears and garnish with a sliver of red pepper.