Earl Grey Tea Mousse with Caramel & Almonds

Recipe by chef Nimish Bhatia

Ingredients
• 120 ml milk
• 4 egg whites
• 120 ml heavy cream
• 60 g confectioners’ sugar
• 4 Earl Grey tea bags
• 10 g agar agar
• 4 almonds
• 40 g sugar

Method
Take a saucepan and bring the milk to a boil, Turn off the heat and infuse it with the tea bags for 5 minutes. Whip the cream adding the confectioners’ sugar till it gets firm.
Dissolve agar agar powder in water. Heat until it dissolves. Switch off the flame and let it cool a bit.
Beat the egg whites hard with a pinch of salt until stiff. Mix together whipped cream and egg whites, stirring delicately using a whisk. Slowly add the milk and stir delicately to incorporate it into the mousse. Add the agar agar in. Pour this into a half-moon mould and refrigerate it.
In the meanwhile, take a heavy-bottom pan and heat the almonds till you get a roasting essence, remove it on a silpad. Add the sugar here to the pan and as it becomes caramelised with a golden colour, dip almonds one by one and put them on the silpad in a long line, let it rest for 5-7 minutes.
Serving    
Demould the mousse on to a plate and garnish with caramelised almonds. Enjoy the mild flavours of Earl Grey tea and the soft mouth-feel of this dessert.