Lemon mousse recipes and menu critique please

[ladette]

Main course (pretty well fixed for various reasons!): salmon en croute, possibly koulibiac. Roast potatoes. Salad. White wine sauce, possibly with leeks.

Starter: was thinking of doing twice baked cheese souffles but perhaps too rich and would also serve with salad so too similar to main except could use watercress.
Otherwise tomato and red pepper soup & homemade bread.

Dessert: would like something light and was thinking lemon mousse with shortbread or some other sort of biscuit (think there's a nice jamie oliver polenta biscuit in one of my books). Would appreciate tried and tested lemon mousse recipes. Would normally do a fruit based dessert with a menu like this but that's what I've done for several of these guests the last few times they've been here so would like to do something different. Needs to be light with a hint of fruit rather than chocolate which would be too rich.

If you think the whole menu sounds wrong, please say. Not out to impress rather thank a lovely group of friends and want it to be nice.

anyone?

Sounds good although to be picky, I think a white wine sauce is better with green vegetables rather than salad. There's something about the idea of hot sauce on cold lettuce that turns me off. Not sure what twice based souffle tastes like but it sounds most impressive.

Thanks NFK, think I agree with you and if i did veg, could have salad with the starter without repeating. Bleeding obvious when you think about it!! Thanks.
Twice baked souffles are basically little cheese souffles, which you make and bake ahead of time, then bake again when you need them and they puff up beautifully. When I can find my recipe (which is driving me nuts!) will post. prob not til the weekend now. They look impressive but are dead easy.

Do you make the salmon en croute? I'm pretty impressed by that too.

NFK... sooooo simple (but sounds and looks impressive, a bit of a cheat I'd say). I buy the pastry. Have 2 different recipes I like, but am sure other MNetters will have others. Will dig out the recipes at the weekend. Am still holding out for lemon mousse recipes or alternative pud suggestions.

I'd serve langue du chat with mousse, not shortbread - Nigella's are good

ladette- I havent' got a lemon mousse recipe but have a lemon and marscapone cheesecake recipe that is very quick and easy no eggs involved. and everyone loved it when i made it.

I found this lemon mousse recipe at recipzaar, sounds nice but too much faffing about with eggs for me.. good luck though

Thanks Mrs Badger, much better idea, lighter than shortbread. Which Nigella book is the recipe in please (don't go looking if you don't know off the top of your head, can look through my Nigella pile myself if not) Meridian, like the cheesecake - have made something very like that with lime before, also delicious. Thanks for going to the trouble of looking out a lemon mousse recipe.

I think it's in the Basics chapter of How to Eat

don't cppk them too hot or too long - do a test tray of 6 first to check oven settings / timings

sound advice! Thanks

goodluck ladette, hope it turns out nice.

Sounds delicious and I think the menu works well - especially a lemony pudding after having a fish main course.

My only thought (except the hot sauce/cold salad point which has already been made) is that if I were eating it I'd prefer boiled new potatoes rather than roast pots - I think the "croute" on the salmon will be filling/fatty enough and I'd want a plainer potato to go with it

Sounds lovely though I agree about veg rather than salad. Maybe green beans?

Also, lemon posset is very, very delicious. Recipe here

Thanks all. Have just had to change the date (won't bore you with the reasons) but no matter, the planning has been done for whenever we manage to rearrange it. Lemon posset fits the bill, margoandjerry, might be lighter than the cheesecake (although I'm glad meridian reminded me of that recipe). Thanks for the comment about potatoes G&T . You're right about the mixture of pastry and roasties, but I love roasties. Will do both and people can choose either the healthy version or my self-indulgent version! Definitely agree about the veg vs salad, and not sure why I didn't think of that myself. I think I'll do a mixture of green veg (green beans/mangetoutes/broccoli/asparagus etc) garnished with lightly cooked cherry tomatoes.
I'd much rather have all these comments on MN than have my guests go away thinking "if only she'd done veg instead of salad/new pots instead of roast!" Many thanks.

I did have another thought though. Are mousse and souffle both made with eggs? A sort of whipped egg white with stuff folded in (stop me if I'm getting too technical). If so, it might be a bit similar in texture. And possibly colour.

The cheese souffles are cooked so firmer and different texture, but had already decided too similar/rich and will do the soup. So yes, i do agree with you and thanks. Will never do a dinner party again without checking it out on MN. So many constructive suggestions!