Vegetable Aspic Jelly Recipe

Origin: Britain      Period: Traditional

At its heart, aspic is typically a meat stock (fish, meat, chicken or game) flavoured with wine, herbs and vinegar that's set with gelatine and which, traditionally was clarified with egg whites and egg shells. Here I present a more modern aspic made with vegetable stock as its base (certainly not traditional). If you include caramelized onions in your vegetable stock you will get a brown aspic, if you simply cook your vegetables for the stock gently you will get a white vegetable stock and therefore a white aspic.

Ingredients:

1l good vegetable stock (brown or white)
2 tbsp carrot, finely diced
2 tbsp onions, finely diced
2 tbsp celery, finely diced
bouquet garni made from parsley, thyme, savory and bayleaf
2 cloves
6 black peppercorns
150ml dry white wine
45g (3 tbsp) powdered gelatine (or use agar agar for a vegetarian version)
juice of 1 lemon
2 egg whites
shells from the eggs, crushed

Vegetable Aspic Jelly Preparation:

Method:

Thoroughly clean and dry a large saucepan then combine all the ingredients in it. Place on low heat and cook, whisking continually, until the mixture begins to form a thick froth on its surface and starts to come to a boil. Immediately stop whisking at this point and leat the foam rise until it reaches the top of the saucepan (but do not allow to boil over).

As soon as the foam gets to the top take the pan off the heat and allow the foam to subside. Now return the pan to the heat and allow the foam to rise and subside once more. Repeat this process once more then take the pan off the heat and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.

In the meantime bring a large pan of water to a boil and use to scald a large bowl, a sieve and a piece of muslin cloth (if your bowl is very large scald by pouring boiling water over it from a kettle). Drain the bowl and sieve thorughly then wring out the cloth (allow to cool first!).

Fold the cloth in half then use to line the sieve. Place this over the bowl then, taking care not to break up the froth, carefully pour the aspic jelly into the seive then simply allow to drain slowly into the bowl (it mus drain by itself, do not be tempted to stir or to push down with a spoon). It is this process of clarification and straining that gives you a perfect, clear, aspic.

Once all the liquid has drained into the bowl allow to cool and use immediately (or you can stor for 24 hours in the refrigerator).

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