Last summer I watched a live-stream cooking demonstration hosted by Certified Master Chef Edward Leonard, Corporate Executive Chef for Le Cordon Bleu cooking schools in the U.S. One of the dishes he prepared was an amuse-bouche that paired strawberries with avocados – an intriguing flavour combination I had never seen before.
In North America, avocados are usually used in savoury preparations (the most well-known of which is guacamole) but in other countries like Brazil and the Philippines, avocados are a dessert ingredient. In Indonesia, they even make avocado milkshakes by blending the bright green fruit with ice cream, then drizzling it with chocolate syrup!
In this recipe, I’ve used Chef Leonard’s imaginative flavour duo for inspiration but put a sweeter spin on it to create Strawberries with Avocado-Mint Mousse.
| Strawberries with Avocado-Mint Mousse |
- 2 tbsp hazelnuts
- 2 avocados
- Juice from 1 lime
- 1 Tbsp fresh mint
- 4 tbsp berry sugar (extra-fine granulated, also known as castor sugar)
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 pint strawberries
- icing sugar (optional)
- Place hazelnuts in a single layer in a small skillet. Toast over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until they are fragrant. Remove from pan and let cool, then chop coarsely.
- Cut avocados in half. Remove pits. Scoop flesh into blender or food processor.
- Immediately add the lime juice to prevent the avocado from turning brown.
- Add fresh mint leaves, sugar and water.
- Puree until silky smooth. Spoon avocado purée into a pastry bag. Set aside.
- Wash strawberries. Use a Parisian scoop to remove the hull. Set cut side down on paper towels for about 5 minutes.
- Pipe avocado purée into hollowed out strawberries.
- Arrange in a serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts and dust with icing sugar (if desired).
You can prepare the mousse and the strawberries ahead of time, but wait until just before serving to fill them.
When I first took a bite of one of these juicy strawberries, the sweet burst of buttery, minty, avocado surprised me. (I can’t remember ever having eaten a filled strawberry.) The crunchy hazelnuts gave a nice contrast to the silky texture of the mousse, and all the flavours blended together very well.
Strawberries with Avocado-Mint Mousse are very simple to prepare, super healthy, and make the most of the season’s beautiful berries.
Related articles
- How to Determine Whether an Avocado Is Perfectly Ripe Inside (thekitchn.com)
- Welcome to AvocadoCentral.com – Get Avocado Recipes, Nutrition Facts & More! (avocadocentral.com)
