Goat Cheese Mousse with Red-Wine Caramel

This is your Valentine’s Day App. This is a sexy recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups dry red wine

1/2 cup ruby port

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1 shallot, minced

2 thyme sprigs plus

1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme

 1 1/2 cups sugar

4 cups strawberries, hulled (2 pints)

2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

2 tablespoons water

One 11-ounce log of fresh goat cheese, softened 2 tablespoons heavy cream Pinch of freshly ground pepper Crostini and toasted walnuts, for serving

Directions

In a saucepan, bring the wine, port, black peppercorns, shallot, thyme sprigs and 1 cup of the sugar to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. Cook over moderate heat, without stirring, until syrupy and reduced to 1 cup, about 35 minutes. Strain and discard the solids. Let the caramel cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, toss the strawberries, orange zest, water and the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and let stand until juicy, about 30 minutes.

Bring the strawberries to a boil and simmer over moderate heat until slightly thickened and jammy, about 15 minutes. Transfer the compote to a bowl and let cool.

In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the goat cheese, cream, ground pepper and chopped thyme until creamy. Spoon the mousse into a bowl and serve with the compote, caramel, crostini and walnuts so guests can assemble their own.