Meaning & use
mousseline
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Meanings
nouncountable or uncountabletechnical
A light, fluffy culinary preparation made by folding whipped cream or egg whites into a base mixture.
Grammar: Can be countable (a mousseline) or uncountable (some mousseline), depending on whether you mean a portion or the substance.
Patterns
- mousseline of something
- a mousseline sauce
- chocolate mousseline
The dessert was a delicate mousseline of raspberry and cream.
He prepared a salmon mousseline as a starter.
Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate base to make a mousseline.
noununcountabletechnical
A fine, soft, sheer fabric, often used for dresses or curtains.
Grammar: Used as a mass noun; you would say 'a piece of mousseline' rather than 'a mousseline'.
Patterns
- mousseline fabric
- made of mousseline
- silk mousseline
The bride wore a gown of silk mousseline.
The curtains were made of lightweight mousseline.
She chose a mousseline scarf for the evening.
Common combinations
- mousseline sauce
- The fish was served with a light mousseline sauce.
- chocolate mousseline
- For dessert, we had chocolate mousseline with berries.
- silk mousseline
- The dress was made of pale pink silk mousseline.
Synonyms and how they differ
- mousse
- A similar light, airy dish, but mousseline is usually finer and may contain whipped cream.
- muslin
- A type of cotton fabric, similar in name but different in material and use.
Commonly confused: mousseline or muslin? mousseline or mousse?
mousseline vs muslin
Muslin is a plain-woven cotton fabric, while mousseline is a fine, sheer fabric often made of silk.
mousseline vs mousse
Mousse is a similar culinary term, but mousseline often has a lighter texture due to whipped cream.
Practice
The chef prepared a light ______ of scallops with a creamy sauce.
Choose one answer.
Mousseline is a culinary term for a light, airy preparation. Muslin is a fabric, mousse is a similar but less fine dish, and motion means movement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mousseline”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.