Daisy & Sally, salty mousse and cats' tongues

"I'm going to be be late." Said Daisy. She was calling from a field in Cambridgeshire. I understood, she was excited. She was, after all, on the set of her new drama series. I can say no more than that. 

Daisy and Sally are both TV writer friends of mine and have been 'planning' this visit for months now. As this was a semi-social event I added another small course; a pre-dessert. Daisy had her heart set on a sticky toffee pudding but I'd thought it too heavy now we're in spring (kinda, sorta). I compensated by devising a salted caramel mousse. This is a technical thing, only made possible with the use of a whipper - a piece of pro kitchen kit. You mix salted caramel sauce with liquid egg white and compressed nitrogen gas and squirt. That's the theory. In practice, it's all about density and temperature. Too warm and the mousse will blurt and dribble; too cold and it will sulk in the can, never to be seen. However  on the night all things came together. It is one of the most delicious things I've made but it doesn't keep well - a half life of about three minutes. This shortlivedness necessitated a bit of table theatre: shot glasses being filled and handed round with haste. I also made some crisp langue de chat biscuit spoons to eat the mousse with. The trick here was not to eat the spoon before you finish the mousse.

A temptation not everyone could resist. Much fingering followed!

Biscuit spoons. Langue de chat is 'cat's tongue in French.
They look nothing like a cat's tongue though so no idea why the name. 

I was doing my rack of lamb with crushed peas and broad beans for the first time, combined with a vegetarian alternative of Yorkshire pudding boats filled with roast veg. Both need very accurate timings. I especially didn't want to serve grey meat. Rack of lamb is a pricey cut and is best served still pink. But also, no one wants either a doughy Yorkie or burnt batter.

Course, in the rush, I frickin' forgot the group shot. Table shots is all I have.

Daisy is here, in the middle.

And Sally, also in the middle.