FEAST LOCAL NELSON + Lemon & Honey Mousse

Lemon & Honey Mousse

This mousse contains only 3 ingredients and couldn't be simpler to make, the hardest part is waiting for the cream to come to the boil. For Feast Local we paired it with a Lavender & Hazelnut Biscotti from The Italian Kitchen for scooping. The dessert was followed by a selection of Hollow Teas to cleanse the palate after a rich and creamy dessert.

Ingredients

• 300 ml cream
• 1 tablespoon spring honey spring honey has a delicate flavour from all the blossoms in bloom
• juice of 1 lemon I used our homegrown Lisbon lemons which are very tart, if using Meyer lemons you might need more juice

Instructions

• Pour the cream into a small saucepan. Over a moderate heat bring to a gentle simmer. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the honey and lemon juice until the honey has dissolved. Check the flavour adding extra honey or lemon juice to get the perfect sweet/ tart balance. Ladle into 4 ramekins or cups and place in the fridge to set for at least 4 hours or overnight until set into a mousse-like consistency.

Notes

This recipe only works with dairy cream as there is some magic that happens to the structure of the cream once it is boiled. We had several dairy-free guests so I made a whipped coconut cream mousse with lemon and honey.

A few weeks ago my sister Ana and I hosted our Feast Local gathering. Held in the beautiful courtyard at Fairfield House surrounded by spring roses, our guests feasted on a menu of exclusively local food. It was an event I had been dreaming up for over a year and to see it come to life was beyond exciting. Although we had little imagery to explain what the event was about those who took the chance were treated to an afternoon of sensible indulgence and fun.

The long tables and courtyard were beautifully styled by Sara-Lee Fabinette aka Miss FlowerGirl using foraged flowers and greenery, and spring roses. As I watched the firsts guest arrive, I noticed they stood and marveled at the tables (taking a few photos) and not sure whether they should sit down and disturb the gorgeousness including a goodie bag of local treasures on each seat. However, as more people arrived the tables were soon full and buzzing with conversation gently loosened by a Mojito-style Fresca and local Liquid Alchemy Rum. This was soon accompanied by a grazing platter of local Wangapeka Cheeses.

The main course was one of the highlights of the lunch served with local organic wines from Kaimira Estate. Our chef Nathan put his heart and soul into this dish and it certainly shone through. Starting with a homemade fish stock that was lightly thickened to make a velouté (a thickened sauce made from stock). Fresh tarakihi was home-smoked and fennel was braised with onion and garlic. All of this was added to the sauce along with fresh monk fish, mussels and cream. A scattering of fresh parsley and served in large copper pans to share at the table. I am hoping to coax the full recipe out of Nathan to share next week, so don’t go far.

For a little entertainment between courses guests enjoyed several short demonstrations. First up was Sara-Lee from Miss FlowerGirl demonstrating how to create a beautiful bouquet from foraged flowers – such a stunning arrangement and she made it look so simple! Then our chef for the day Nathan demonstrated a simple sauce – he called it a ‘savoury custard’ – to serve with spring asparagus. It was so good, I was the one licking the bowl in the kitchen! For the demonstration Nathan talked about his antique and vintage copper pans he brings back to life.

THE MENU

Welcome Beverage
Lime, Mint & Da’ Maha Coconut Water Sparkly Fresca

with an optional shot of Liquid Alchemy Rum

Grazing Platter
Wangapeka Blue Rock & Creamy Brie
 Cranky Goat Soft Cheese & Pelorus Pearl
Sugar-free Beetroot & Mint Chutney
Marinated Olives
Swedish Bakery Knäckebröd

Main
Creamy Seafood & Fennel Velouté
Spring Asparagus & Salad Greens
Karamaya Black Garlic Vinaigrette
Selection of Breads

Accompanied by Kaimira 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Kaimira 2013 Riesling

& Brightside 2013 Pinot Noir

Sweet
Lemon & Honey Posset (recipe below)
Hazelnut & Lavender Biscotti by The Italian Kitchen

To Finish
Hogarths Chocolate Madagascar Orange Truffle
Selection of teas supplied by The Hollow
Tasman Spiced Citrus + Vanilla White Tea

A big thank-you to our wonderful local producers who supplied their produce and products for the event.

Kaimira & Brightside Organic Wine   |   Wangapeka Family Dairy   |   Hogarth Craft Chocolate   |   The Hollow Teas   |   Liquid Alchemy Rum   |  Da’ Maha Coconut Water   |    Stephen Robertson Ceramics   |   Karamaya Black Garlic   |   The Swedish Bakery   |  The Italian Kitchen Biscotti   |   Lav Kokonas Vanilla   |   Cranky Goat Cheese   |   Urban Hippie Miso   |   Ferretti Organic Growers​   |   Fresh Fish by Ben​  |   Pure Nelson Honey   |   Phi Hazelnuts   |   The Shortbread House Crackers

Plus each guest took home a little Salt Pot made exclusively for Feast Local by Stephen Robertson Ceramics

All images taken by Ana Galloway Photography.