Tangerine mousse: an easy recipe, a vegan version and three variations
Tangerine mousse looks complicated and isn't. Here it comes two ways: the classic, with cream and whisked egg whites, made the night before, and a vegan version that takes fifteen minutes with a saucepan and a blender. Both depend on the same thing: proper tangerines, ripened on the tree rather than in cold storage.
Our Valencia tangerines arrive with no wax and no post-harvest chemicals, so you can zest the peel without a second thought. The zest is half the recipe; the other half is not opening the fridge every twenty minutes.
Classic tangerine mousse (serves 4)
Ingredients
- 4 tangerines (juice and zest)
- 3 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 80 g sugar
- 200 ml double cream (at least 35% fat)
- 2 gelatine leaves (or 4 g powdered gelatine)
- A pinch of salt
Method
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, juice the tangerines and zest two of them. You need about 150 ml of juice.
Whisk the yolks with the sugar until pale and doubled in volume. Warm the juice in a saucepan without letting it boil, dissolve the squeezed-out gelatine in it and stir it into the yolks. Leave to cool.
Whip the cream until firm but not stiff: it should be silky, not grainy. Whisk the whites to stiff peaks with a pinch of salt. Fold the cream into the tangerine base first, then the whites. Add the zest and divide among glasses or bowls.
Chill for at least 4 hours. The mousse firms up in the cold, so you can make it the night before and forget about it.
Vegan version in 15 minutes (serves 2)
No eggs, no cream: agar-agar does the gelatine's job and almond cream does the cream's.
- Zest of 2 tangerines
- Juice of 5 tangerines (about 200 ml)
- 3 tablespoons almond cream
- 1 tablespoon kuzu (or cornflour)
- 1 tablespoon agar-agar powder
- 2 tablespoons rice syrup (or honey, though then it is no longer vegan)
- A pinch of salt and a small glass of water
Combine everything in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Turn the heat to its lowest for 15 minutes, blend until there is not a lump left and pour into glasses. Half an hour at room temperature, another half in the fridge, and that's it.
Three variations on the classic
With chocolate. Melt 50 g of 70% dark chocolate and stir it into the tangerine base before adding the cream. For the vegan version, a tablespoon of pure cocoa before blending is enough. Chocolate and tangerine get on absurdly well.
With grilled meringue. Spoon the mousse into ovenproof ramekins, top with meringue (whites and sugar) and grill for 2 minutes. Warm outside, cold within.
With a biscuit base. Crush digestive biscuits with melted butter, press into the bottom of the glasses and chill for 20 minutes before adding the mousse.
Why fresh tangerines make the difference
A mousse made with bottled juice is sweet and flat. With tangerines picked ripe it has acidity, nuance and character: the difference between a pudding you eat out of habit and one you remember. In the heart of the season, October to April depending on the variety, the juice is more aromatic; outside it, it turns sharper.
For more ideas with citrus, try our tangerine marmalade recipes, where the fruit moves from pudding to aperitif.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make tangerine mousse without gelatine?
Yes. Replace the gelatine with 2 g of agar-agar dissolved in the warm juice and work quickly, as it sets as it cools. Or simply make the vegan version.
How long does it keep in the fridge?
Two to three days, covered. Best eaten within 48 hours: after that it loses air and texture.
Can you freeze it?
We wouldn't. Whipped cream and agar-agar both change texture when thawed.
Can I use supermarket tangerines?
You can, with two differences. The juice tends to have less flavour because the fruit is picked before it ripens. And the peel is usually waxed, so it is best not to zest it; without the zest, the mousse loses half its aroma.
Which tangerines do you send?
Those of our season, from the Oronules in October to the Orri in spring, picked ripe and with no post-harvest treatment. The same ones we ship fresh across Europe.
