Making Perfect Lozenges/Quenelles

[Abra]

I'd like to be able to make those perfectly elliptical lozenges of mousse-like stuff that are often served in a small dish of soup or puree, or as a dessert side. I assume that you do it with two spoons, but the shapes are so uniform, and so perfect, that I really need to see someone do it. Would someone be willing to demo this process, and share a couple of recipes for me to practice with?

[Shalmanese]

You mean Quenelles? Theres an eGCI lesson that mentions them here

[MHarney]

A photo series showing the process of shaping a quenelle can be found 3/4 of the way down this page.

[ludja]

It's cool to know how to make the traditional way as shown in the two links. I also have an ice cream scoop that is ovel in shape. It doesen't affored the nice sharp edge that you can get making it with the spoons, but it is a quick way to get an elegant, oval of mousse, etc.

[Abra]

It's funny, I always thought a quenelle was exclusively a cooked item as in Jack's demo, and assumed that there was another name for the uncooked-mousse type thingie I'm talking about. Glad to have that cleared up - thanks for the links! When they say scoop with one spoon or another, do they mean scoop it from one spoon to the other, and then back again? It's a little hard to see in the pictures.

I'll have to look for that scoop, Ludja. Any idea where you found it?

[ludja]

...

I'll have to look for that scoop, Ludja.  Any idea where you found it?

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Hi Abra! I can't remember, but it was probably at a more "upper end" cook store like Sur la Table. This one offered on-line for $17 looks very similar to the one I have: click

Edited September 16, 2005 by ludja (log)

[little ms foodie]

It's funny, I always thought a quenelle was exclusively a cooked item as in Jack's demo, and assumed that there was another name for the uncooked-mousse type thingie I'm talking about.  Glad to have that cleared up - thanks for the links!  When they say scoop with one spoon or another, do they mean scoop it from one spoon to the other, and then back again?  It's a little hard to see in the pictures.

I'll have to look for that scoop, Ludja.  Any idea where you found it?

←

Abra I learned to make quenelles at Culinary Communion, remind me on Sat and I'll show you how they taught us to see if it's what you are looking for.

[MHarney]

When they say scoop with one spoon or another, do they mean scoop it from one spoon to the other, and then back again?  It's a little hard to see in the pictures.

←

That's right -- you're swapping from one spoon to the other with a rotating wrist action. Depending on the gloppiness of the mixture and the falutin'-ness of the dish, you might see people doing it four or more times back and forth between the two spoons to make the shape nicer. With frozen items, you can blow warm air on the bottom of the final spoon so it will slide off better. That scoop seems a lot easier, though.

That little football shape is popular in French cooking, and not just for mixtures. Watch Jacques Pepin for more than five or ten minutes and he'll likely be carving them out of cucumbers, turnips, or carrots (for the most even cooking).