Macaroons with sardine mousse
For the shells
90g egg whites
110g ground almonds
110g icing sugar
110g caster sugar
For garnish
5 boxes of sardine mousse with Armagnac
5 tablespoons of liquid cream
For decoration
1 lemon
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tbsp water
Preparation of the macaroon shells
Mix together the ground almonds and the icing sugar then sieve the mixture.
Beat the egg whites and when they start to foam, add half the powdered sugar. Continue beating for 1 minute then stir in the other half of the sugar until you get very dense whites that form a peak when you lift the whisk.
Pour the sieved mixture of ground almonds and icing sugar over the egg whites and macaroon (mix by gently lifting). Continue until you obtain a homogeneous paste but not too liquid.
Fill a pocket fitted with an 8mm nozzle and on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, form small heaps 3cm in diameter in staggered rows. Lightly tap the underside of the plate so that the macaroons spread out evenly.
Let the macaroon shells crust (dry on the surface) for 30 minutes in a dry place.
Place the sheets in the oven and cook for 12 to 14 minutes at 302°F in fan-forced heat. Take the macaroons out of the oven and let them cool before trying to peel them off.
Assembly
In a container, soften the sardine mousse by mixing it with the liquid cream. Fill a piping bag with it and garnish the macaroon shells.
To make the candied lemon zest: take the zest of a lemon and put it in a small saucepan with the sugar and water. Cook over low heat for 6 to 8 minutes until all the water has evaporated.