Blood Sausage Mousse, Toasted Buckwheat Polenta, Goat Cheese Jelly, Pickled Cabbage, and Buckwheat Pops

A cold appetizer from Bruno Šulmans final menu, where the contestant wanted to play with the most basic flavors of traditional Slovenian cuisine. "This is a plate just for shouting," said Karim after tasting the dish, and his opinion was shared by Luka and Bine, who were proud that the contestant prepared a masterful appetizer from traditional Slovenian ingredients. The judges awarded Bruno 29 points for this dish.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 25 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 25 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 piece Sausage, liver

  • 1 piece Onion, young

  • pieces Sweet cream

  • 150 g Flour, buckwheat

  • pieces Cabbage, red, fresh

  • 1 piece Carrot, fresh

  • pieces Vinegar, balsamic

  • pieces Sugar, white

  • 250 g Cheese, cottage cheese

  • 2 spoons Sour cream

  • 50 ml Milk, whole milk

  • 1 piece Gelatin powder, unsweetened

  • pieces Salt, table

  • 50 g Buckwheat flakes

Steps

  1. Place the blood sausage in salted boiling water to cook.

  2. Using a small cutter, cut circles from red cabbage leaves—three per plate. Peel the carrot and slice it thinly. Prepare the pickling liquid: mix white balsamic vinegar, water, and sugar in a ratio of 1.5:1:1. Bring the mixture to a boil, then pour half over the red cabbage and the other half over the carrot.

  3. Soak gelatin in cold water. In a bowl, mix goat cheese and sour cream. Lightly salt the mixture. Dissolve the gelatin in milk and add it to the mixture. Stir well to achieve a uniform consistency, then refrigerate to allow the gelatin to set. We don’t want a firm jelly, just enough for the gelatin to slightly thicken the mixture for a better and more pliable texture.

  4. Dry-roast buckwheat flour in a pan for a few minutes until fragrant, then salt it. Pour boiling water over it while stirring vigorously to avoid lumps. Add enough water to achieve a wet but still thick consistency, similar to buckwheat porridge or polenta. Spread this mixture about one centimeter thick in a baking dish and smooth the surface. Let it cool slightly, then cut the buckwheat polenta into small cubes and toast them in a pan on both sides until crispy. Let the toasted cubes cool.

  5. Remove the blood sausage from the water. Peel off the skin, then blend the inside into a puree using a stick blender. Gradually add some of the cooking water to achieve a smooth and liquid consistency. For freshness, add a few slices of young onion and blend it into the sausage puree. Once smooth, strain the puree through a fine sieve and gradually add cream until the texture resembles freshly cooked pudding. Transfer the mixture to a siphon, add one gas cartridge, and chill. This creates the blood sausage mousse.

  6. Place buckwheat groats in a hot pan with a little oil, salt them, and after 1-3 minutes, you’ll have buckwheat pops.

  7. To serve, arrange the pickled cabbage and carrot in a circle on the plate, along with dollops of goat cheese jelly and the toasted buckwheat polenta. Use the siphon to pipe the blood sausage mousse in the center, and sprinkle the buckwheat pops over the mousse. Optionally, garnish with microgreens.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 176.97 kcal
  • Fat: 2.88 g
    • Saturated Fat: 0.68 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.73 g
    • Sugars: 2.03 g
  • Protein: 10.32 g
  • Fiber: 3.55 g