Side dish: The French Laundry's Parmesan-Reggiano Crisps with Goat Cheese Mousse

In the husband's quest to up his cooking game, he has tried some French cooking. We had gotten Thomas Keller's The French Laundry cookbook awhile back. These are a fantastic appetizer. 

Ingredients:

Parmesan Crisps
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (from a moist piece of cheese)

Goat Cheese Mousse
6 ounces fresh goat cheese (or other soft goat cheese)
4 to 6 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced Italian parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


A clean egg carton

Directions:

Parmesan Crisps

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
2. Place a 2.5” ring mold in one corner of the Silpat and fill it with 1 tablespoon of the grated cheese. Using your finger, spread the cheese into an even layer. Repeat to make 8 rounds, leaving at least 1 inch between them.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the crisps are a rich golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for about 30 seconds to firm the crisps enough so you can remove them with a spatula. One by one, remove the crisps and gently press each one into a hollow in the egg carton to forma a tulip shape. After a few minutes, remove the cooled crisps from the carton and make 8 more crisps.

Goat Cheese Mousse

1. Place the goat cheese in a food processor and process (depending on the cheese used, it may look smooth or crumbly). Pour 1/4 cup of the cream through the feed tube and continue to process until the mixture is smooth but will hold a shape when piped; if necessary, add a little more cream. Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste and mix just to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The mousse can be refrigerated for 2 to 3 days; let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes to soften slightly before piping.
2. Pace the mousse in a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe 2 to 3 teaspoons of mousse into each Parmesan crisp and serve.

Other Details:

• Makes 16 crisps. 
• Nutrition per crisp.
• Here, these easy Parmesan crisps form small cups for a creamy goat cheese mousse. It's best to bake only half the crisps at a time, because they may harden while you're working with them.
• Note: we used parchment paper instead of a Silpat; and fingers instead of a spatula.
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