CookEat Recipe
Clear Meat Aspic
A delicate amber meat jelly, slowly simmered and clarified for serving cold. Makes one variable-size batch, starting from about 1 litre of reduced broth before clarification.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 500 g boneless veal shank; 150 g cleaned veal foot; Cleaned, food-grade feet from 2 or 3 chickens; 2 cleaned chicken heads with their necks, from a food supplier; 2 litres cold water; Salt to taste; 70 g lean veal, finely minced, for clarifying; 1 egg; About 30 ml water for clarifying; 2 pinches sugar and a few drops water for caramel; Optional: a small glass of Marsala.
Step 2
Use professionally cleaned, food-grade veal and chicken parts. Cut the feet into pieces. Put the shank, veal foot, chicken feet, heads and necks in a pot with 2 litres cold water. Add salt, bring to a simmer and skim.
Step 3
Simmer very gently for 7 to 8 hours, until the liquid has reduced to about half. Strain. Divide among shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, at 4°C or colder, until set. Lift off the solid fat.
Step 4
If a small thoroughly chilled sample does not set, return the broth to the boil and reduce further, then test another chilled sample. This version relies on the natural gelatin; do not guess the strength of unspecified gelatin sheets.
Step 5
Mix the 70 g very finely minced veal with the egg and about 30 ml water in a saucepan. Add the cold jelly. Whisk over heat until it comes to the boil, then simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
Step 6
In a small heavy saucepan, heat the sugar with a few drops of water to a dark amber caramel. Carefully add a little hot broth to dissolve it, standing back from the steam. Stir small amounts into the simmering jelly until it is amber, not dark brown. Add Marsala if using.
Step 7
Pour the hot liquid through a clean, damp, fine cloth in a sieve without squeezing. Divide into small moulds and refrigerate promptly until softly set and transparent. To unmould, briefly warm the outside of each mould with a cloth dipped in hot water.
Step 8
Keep refrigerated and use within 2 to 3 days. Discard if left out for more than 2 hours or if spoiled; boiling does not rescue sour jelly.
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