A casual dollop of this zippy accompaniment does wonders atop smoked fish or roasted or grilled meat. (Its three tablespoons of horseradish pack a punch, so you won’t need much!) But it also “cleans up” well when piped into fancier presentations, such as my smoked salmon-filled cream puffs, one of my New Year’s Eve staples.

This Puff’s Main Attraction – Horseradish Mousse!
Yield

About 3/4 cup (6 oz/170 g)

Prep Talk
  • This mousse is best eaten right away, as it will always be at its maximum volume and freshness shortly after it’s mixed. However, it can be made a couple of days in advance of eating; just be aware that some liquid may separate and settle to the bottom of the mixture. To restore the mousse to close to its original consistency, simply drain off the excess liquid and/or gently stir until well combined.
  • Also, it’s tough to whip the small quantity of cream called for in this recipe in most mixers (there’s simply not enough volume to make good contact with the whisks), so I usually whip a full cup (8 oz/237 ml) and then portion off the smaller quantity called for in this recipe.
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup (4.0 oz/113 g) drained sour cream (Be sure to include no liquid, just the thickest part of the sour cream.)
  • 3 tablespoons “squeeze-dried” prepared horseradish* (To squeeze-dry, place a generous amount of horseradish in a sieve over a bowl; then press it firmly with the back of a spoon or your clean fingers until it is as free of liquid as possible. Measure it only after squeeze-drying.)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed and strained lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, or more to taste
  • 1/4 cup (1.0 oz/28 g) very stiffly whipped cream (Note: As indicated in “Prep Talk”, the cream is measured after it is whipped.)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

*Note: The zippy-ness of this recipe is easily modified by adjusting the quantity of horseradish to personal tastes!

Method

1 | In a small bowl, stir together the drained sour cream, squeeze-dried horseradish, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce.

2 | Gently fold in the very stiffly whipped cream; then season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in a well-wrapped container in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.