No. 1360. _Aspic_,
Or Savoury Jelly, extracted from the succulence of meat, when well made,
is very inviting at any season of the year, especially in the summer,
besides being the principal ornament and garniture of those savoury
dishes which relieve the monotony of the second course. The tediousness
and expense of its preparation in the old-fashioned manner has often
been the cause of its being omitted, which has also prevented gourmets
from partaking of the second course, but where well served, its
delightful flavour will restore, cleanse, and invigorate the palate,
causing each guest to partake more freely of the savoury dishes, which
will afford a zest to the delicate Lafitte or Château Margot, which
flows so generously in the glasses of true epicures. By following
closely my new receipt, I venture to say that any cook, with a little
experience, will produce an aspic fit for the table of a crowned head.
Take two large knuckles of veal, which cut in large dice, having about
six pounds of meat, well butter the bottom of a middling-sized stewpan,
put in the meat, with one pound of lean ham and two calf’s feet, cut up,
breaking the bones, add half a gill of water, and place the stewpan over
a sharp fire, stirring the meat round occasionally until the bottom of
the stewpan is covered with a whitish glaze, then fill it up with five
quarts of water, add three onions, one small carrot, one turnip, half a
head of celery, six peppercorns, one clove, half a blade of mace, a
teaspoonful of salt, and a bunch of parsley, with which you have mixed
two bay-leaves and a few sprigs of thyme, also two apples, peeled and
cut in quarters; when boiling place it at the corner of the stove, let
simmer gently for three hours, skimming off every particle of fat, or it
would interfere with the clarification; it should be reduced to about a
half, pass it through a fine cloth into a basin, place a little in a
mould upon ice to ascertain if sufficiently firm, if too firm add a
little light broth, but if, on the contrary, too weak, reduce it until
you have obtained the consistency of strong calf’s-foot jelly, place the
remainder in a stewpan upon the fire, taste if to your palate; have the
whites of six eggs in a basin, with the shells, whisk them half a
minute, add a gill of water or broth, two spoonfuls of tarragon vinegar,
and a little salt, beat all together, have the stock boiling upon the
fire, whisk round, pour in the eggs at once, and keep whisking a few
minutes; set the stewpan at the corner with the lid on, upon which place
some live charcoal, and let it remain five minutes, have a fine napkin,
which tie in a square upon the top of your jelly-stand, through which
pass it into a basin, pouring the first that runs through again into the
napkin, when passed and set it is ready for use where directed. Should
you require the aspic to partake of the flavour of fowl, twenty minutes
before passing the stock, thrust a fowl just roasted into it, leaving it
but a very short time. The same remark also applies to game of any
description, should you require the aspic of such a flavour. To obtain
aspic of a fine gold colour, let your stock draw down to a pale
yellowish glaze before filling it up, or add a spoonful of brown gravy
(No. 135); three very distinct colours may likewise be made of aspic,
without introducing the colour-box of some celebrated artists, that is,
leaving the one nearly white, the other a gold colour, as above
mentioned, and the other quite a dark brown, adding more brown gravy and
reducing it a little, clarifying it separately, and colouring before the
clarification; place it in three separate sauté-pans or flat moulds,
which place upon ice, when set, ornament your dishes tastefully, it will
produce an excellent effect, especially in a large supper. Should you
not succeed in clarifying it the first time, the operation must be again
performed.