Servings: 6
Time: 35 minutes, 6 hours of freezing time

Ingredients

1 cup (65 g) shiitake mushrooms, roughly
chopped with woody stems finely chopped
(about 7 to 8 shiitakes)
1 cup (250 g) heavy cream
6 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
3 large eggs (150 g)
4 tsp. (10 g) granulated white sugar, divided
1⁄2 tsp. (3 g) kosher salt
75 g caramel baking chips (such as Callebaut,
Ghirardelli, or King Arthur)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
Flaky sea salt, to serve

Directions

Step 1 - Heat a dry medium pot over low heat. Add mushrooms and toast, stirring frequently until fragrant and reduced about 25% in size, about 5–7 minutes.

Step 2 - Stream in the cream, scraping up the caramelized bits of mushroom from bottom of pan. Continue to stir over low heat and let the cream infuse for another 5 minutes without reaching a simmer, until mushrooms are very soft. Set aside to cool completely then strain well, pressing out as much moisture from the mushrooms as possible.

Step 3 - Reserve the shiitake mushroom bits and refrigerate the strained cream until chilled, up to 24 hours in advance. Use a small blender or food processor to purée the reserved shiitake bits with the sweetened condensed milk. Add a big pinch of flaky sea salt and set aside.

Step 4 - Separate eggs into yolks and whites; set whites aside. In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of steaming hot water, whisk the yolks, two tsp. of granulated white sugar, and 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt, until the sugar has melted and the mixture feels warm, about 3 minutes.

Step 5 - Add the caramel chips, a spoonful at a time, whisking throughout to melt. Add the 2 Tbsp. of butter and whisk until smooth, another minute. Remove from
heat and whisk until mixture no longer feels hot.

Step 6 - Add reserved egg whites to a stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment. Whip on high until foamy and white, about 1 minute, then add the remaining two
tsp. of sugar. Continue to whip on high until soft peaks begin to form, another minute or two.

Step 7 - Gently fold this meringue into yolk mixture in two batches.

Step 8 - Remove chilled shiitake cream from fridge and add to the cleaned mixing bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks have formed, about 3–4 minutes.

Step 9 - Gently fold the whipped shiitake cream into the mousse mixture in
two batches, being careful not to deflate the mousse, but folding thoroughly to eliminate lumps.

Step 10 - Divide into 6 small bowls or cups. Freeze at least 6 hours or up to 3 days; mousse should feel set. Before serving, drizzle with shiitake-condensed milk and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.