Aspic Jelly

By the RecipeCafe Archives

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons carrot, cut in cubes
• 2 tablespoons onion, cut in cubes
• 2 tablespoons celery, cut in cubes
• 2 sprigs parsley
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 sprig savory
• 2 whole cloves
• 0.5 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 quart (960 ml) white stock (for vegetables and white meat) OR 1 quart (960 ml) brown stock (for dark meat)
• 1 Juice of 1 lemon
• 8 egg whites (pasteurized egg whites recommended; see notes)
• 1 Wine, quantity to taste — approximately 3–4 tablespoons total, divided (2 tablespoons reserved for egg whites)

Instructions

1. 1. Place the cubed carrot, onion, and celery along with the parsley, thyme, savory, cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaf in a heavy saucepan. Add all but 2 tablespoons of the wine. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until the vegetables are softened and the mixture is fragrant, then strain, reserving the liquid only. Discard the solids.
2. 2. Add the gelatin (dissolved per package instructions — technique: blooming, meaning soaking dry gelatin in cold liquid for 5 minutes to hydrate it before heating) to the stock. Add the lemon juice. Heat the stock mixture in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until it just reaches a boil (212°F / 100°C), at which point small, vigorous bubbles will break the surface. Add the strained vegetable-and-wine liquid. Season with salt and a pinch of cayenne.
3. 3. In a bowl, beat the egg whites until just broken up and slightly frothy — do not whip to soft peaks. Add the reserved 2 tablespoons of wine to the egg whites. Slowly ladle approximately 1 cup (240 ml) of the hot stock mixture into the egg whites while stirring constantly (technique: tempering — gradually raising the temperature of the eggs by adding hot liquid to prevent scrambling). Then slowly pour the tempered egg-white mixture back into the remaining hot stock, stirring constantly until the mixture returns to a boil (212°F / 100°C); you will see the whites begin to coagulate and rise to the surface, clarifying the liquid.
4. 4. Move the saucepan to the coolest part of the stove (or the lowest possible burner setting) and let it stand undisturbed for 30 minutes. The aspic should be completely still; the egg-white raft will have collected the impurities and the liquid beneath should appear clear.
5. 5. Line a fine-mesh wire strainer with two layers of cheesecloth, or use a jelly bag, and set it over a clean bowl or vessel. Carefully ladle — do not pour — the contents of the saucepan through the strainer. Allow the liquid to drip through without pressing, 15–25 minutes, until the aspic runs clear and free of sediment.
6. 6. Use the aspic immediately as a warm liquid for coating, or allow it to cool at room temperature and then refrigerate until set, 2–4 hours, until the jelly is firm enough to hold a clean edge when cut with a knife. The finished aspic should be clear, amber or straw-coloured (white stock) or deep brown (brown stock), and tremble when the vessel is shaken.