Aspic

-

 

Aspic


Aspic is a dish in which ingredients are set into a gelatin made from a meat stock or consomme.  Aspic can also be referred to as aspic gelée or aspic jelly. Non-savoury, sweet dishes, often made with commercial gelatin mixes without stock or consommé, are usually called jello salads in the United States, or gelatin salads elsewhere.

 

History

The 10th century Kitab al- Tabikh, the earliest known Arabic Cookbook, contains a recipe for a fish aspic called qaris. It was made by boiling several large fish heads with vinegar, parsley, cassia, whole onions, rue, black pepper, ginger, spikenard, galangal, clove, coriander seeds and long pepper. It is colored with saffron enough to add a "radiant red". The cooked fish heads were removed from the vinegar cooking liquid along with the seasonings, and only the tongues and lips were returned to steep in the liquid until it cooled and gelatinized. According to one poetic reference by Ibrahim ibn al-Mahdi describing a version of the dish prepared with Iraqi carp it was "like ruby on the platter, set in a pearl... steeped in saffron thus, like garnet it looks, vibrantly red, shimmering on silver."

Historically, meat aspics were made before fruit- and vegetable-flavored aspics. By the Middle Ages at the latest, cooks had discovered that a thickened meat broth could be made into a jelly. A detailed recipe for aspic is found in  Le Viandier, written in or around 1375.

 

In the early 19th century, Marie - Antoine Careme created chaud froid in France. Chaud froid means "hot cold" in French, referring to foods that were prepared hot and served cold. Aspic was used as a chaud froid sauce in many cold fish and poultry meals. The sauce added moisture and flavor to the food. Carême invented various types of aspic and ways of preparing it. Aspic, when used to hold meats, prevents them from becoming spoiled. The gelatin keeps out  air and bacteria, keeping the cooked meat fresh.

Aspic came into prominence in America in the early 20th century. By the 1950s, meat aspic was a popular dinner staple throughout the United Statesa as were other gelatin-based dishes such as tomato aspic. Cooks used to show off aesthetic skills by creating inventive aspics.

 

Culinary preparation

When cooled, stock that is made from meat congeals because of the natural gelatin found in the meat. The stock can be clarified with egg whites, and then filled and flavored just before the aspic sets. Almost any type of food can be set into aspics. Most common are meat pieces, fruits, or vegetables. Aspics are usually served on cold plates so that the gel will not melt before being eaten. A meat jelly that includes cream is called a chaud-froid.

Almost any meat (poultry or fish included) can be used to make gelatin. The aspic may need additional gelatin in order to set properly. Veal stock (in particular, stock from a boiled calf's foot provides a great deal of gelatin; in making stock, veal is often included with other meat for that reason. Fish consommés usually have too little natural gelatin, so the fish stock may be double-cooked or supplemented. Since fish gelatin melts at a lower temperature than gelatins of other meats, fish aspic is more delicate and melts more readily in the mouth.

Fish stocks usually need added gelatin to maintain a molded shape. Vegetables have no natural gelatin.

 

Culinary uses

Aspic jelly may be colorless (white aspic) or contain various shades of amber. Aspic can be used to protect food from the air, to give food more flavor, or as a decoration.

There are three types of aspic: delicate, sliceable, and inedible. The delicate aspic is soft. The sliceable aspic must be made in a terrine or in an aspic mold. It is firmer than the delicate aspic. The inedible aspic is never for consumption. It is usually for decoration. Aspic is often used to glaze food pieces in food competitions to make the food glisten and make it more appealing to the eye. Foods dipped in aspic have a lacquered finish for a fancy presentation.  Aspic can be cut into various shapes and be used as a garnish for deli meats or pâtés.

 

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

LARDER SECTION

-
Image
  LARDER Larder Kitchen   Definition & Introduction of Larder Work   The larder or Garde Manger is a department set aside for the storage of perishable food, both raw and cooked. It is the place where food stuffs such as meat; fish, poultry and game are prepared and made ready for cooking. In this department, all cold food items found on the menu such as Hors d’oeuvre cold fish or meat dishes, cold sauces, salad dressings are prepared and dressed. One particular special duty of this department is the preparation and presentation of all types of cold buffet, which are nowadays a feature of so many functions.   For these functions to be carried out, it is  essential  that: ·          The larder be separated from the kitchen and located in a cool place. At the same time, it must be close to the kitchen to avoid undue running between two departments which are closely interrelated. ·  ...
Read more

Differences Between Paté - Terrine, Galantine - Ballotine; & Mousse - Mousseline

-
Image
 Differences Between:   Paté -  Terrine Galantine -  Ballotine Mousse -  Mousseline   Assorted -  Cold Meat Platter  Paté -  Terrine Sr. No. Paté Terrine 1 Paté is lined with pastry casings Terrines are lined with pork fat 2 Derived from French word which means ‘paste’ Derived from Latin word ‘terra’ meaning earth. 3 Forcemeat used in Pate is finely chopped or pureed In this the forcemeat is slightly coarse 4 In this liver is used as main ingredient E.g. Paté de foie gras Various forcemeat can be used and layered one over the other 5 Baked in rectangular mould Cooked in double boiled in an oval earthenware dish 6 Sliced and served Served sliced or are scooped with spoons 7 Demoul...
Read more

Forcemeat: A Brief Introduction

-
Image
  Forcemeat   Forcemeats: The term Forcemeat or farce , is used to describe the basic mixture that needs to be prepared in order to produce charcuterie products. The word farce comes from the Latin farcire .  A farce or forcemeat is a ground seasoned mixture of meat, game, poultry, fish or vegetables, prepared as a dish on its own or used to stuff other numerous other items such as eggs, meat, fish and poultry, pastry shells and perhaps even pasta. Such dishes are prepared in the Garde Manger.  Forcemeats are used in the preparation of a various cold dishes such as pate, terrines, galantines, ballotines, quenelle, roulade, mousse and mousseline.   ·          Pate: from the old French paste, meaning paste. ·          Terrine: from the Latin Terra, meaning earth. ·          Galantine: from the old French galant, meaning gorgeous o...
Read more

SAUSAGE INTRODUCTION

-
Image
  Sausages                                                                    A sausage consists of ground meat, animal fat, salt and spices and sometimes other ingredients such as herbs; usually packed in a casing. Sausage making is a very old food preservation technique. Historically, the casing has been the intestines of the animal, though it is now generally synthetic. Sausage may be fresh or preserved by curing or smoking. Besides being eaten in its own, sausage is also used as an ingredient in other foods. Sausage is a natural outcome of efficient butchery. History: It is mostly assumed that sausages were involved by Sumarian, i.e. in Iraq today. Around 3000 BC, Chinese sausage Lachang, which consists of goat and lamb meat was first mentioned in 589 BC. Evidence suggests...
Read more

Forcemeat: Its types

-
Image
  Forcemeat: Its types   The term Forcemeat or farce, is used to describe the basic mixture that needs to be prepared in order to produce charcuterie products. The word farce comes from the Latin farcire.  A farce or forcemeat is a ground seasoned mixture of meat, game, poultry, fish or vegetables, prepared as a dish on its own or used to stuff other numerous other items such as eggs, meat, fish and poultry, pastry shells and perhaps even pasta.   Such dishes are prepared in the Garde Manger. Forcemeats are used in the preparation of a various cold dishes such as pate, terrines, galantines, ballotines, quenelle, roulade, mousse and mousseline.   Forcemeat: A key Component in the Art of Sausage Making   There are five primary types of forcemeat: ·         Campagne (Country Style) ·         Straight Method ·         Gratin Style ·  ...
Read more