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A sliver of cake, a swoosh of sauce, a quenelle of whipped cream…sometimes a dessert looks more like a work of art. But wait—what is a quenelle? It’s that football-shaped scoop of practically anything creamy and spreadable (ice cream, mousse, you name it) that makes restaurant desserts look so pretty. Might seem a bit much for your average night at home, but who doesn’t love a party trick? Watch quenelle maestro Kristen Murray of Portland's Måurice show off her elegant one-handed skills:
Ready to practice? Here's how it works:
To quenelle, you need a sturdy tapered spoon with a deep bowl—or, as Murray puts it, "a nice, round bum." She uses vintage spoons; search for "oval dessert spoon" on eBay to find a similar one.
Making a quenelle is as much about timing as it is about technique, so you need to have your mise en place ready. Chill your serving plates in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, otherwise the quenelles will start to melt on contact. Set up a station with a small saucepan of hot tap water and a small kitchen towel. Place your quenelle spoon in the water (a warm spoon will glide through the ice cream like a hot knife through butter), and remove ice cream from freezer.
Give the spoon a couple of taps on the towel to shake off excess water. Choke up on the spoon, grasping it near the bowl (you have more control this way), and hold it with the rounded side angled down. In a single motion, drag the spoon through the ice cream toward the near edge of the container so it curls over itself to form the quenelle. “You want to be focused and fluid at the same time,” Murray says.
To further smooth the quenelle and taper the ends, gently slide the spoon out from underneath the quenelle. Dip the spoon in hot water, and tap dry again. Reposition it back over the top of the quenelle, and using a cupping motion (you know, like the spoon and the quenelle were actually spooning), tap it against the side of the container several times so the quenelle rotates inside the spoon. Gently scrape the ends of the quenelle against the container to create sharp tapered points.
Gently transfer the quenelle to the chilled plate, curving the spoon as you release it. Make sure not to lift the spoon straight up, or you’ll create a ridge.