Frank's Recipes! Port Wine Aspic

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Port Wine Aspic

1/2 cup egg white, beaten until soft peaks form
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced leeks
1/2 cup finely diced celeriac [I just used celery]
few stems of parsley
1 teaspoon salt
8 white peppercorns
1 piece bay leaf
1 quart light broth (meat, poultry or fish, depending on the type of pate) [I used chicken]
1/2 cup white wine or 3 tablespoons wine vinegar [I used 1 cup Port wine]
3 envelopes aspic powder or unflavored gelatin

Tip the finely diced vegetables and seasonings into the egg white. The egg white should have been beaten until soft peaks formed. Work the ingredients with your hand or a wooden spoon.

Tip the egg white and vegetable mixture into the broth. The broth should be cold at this stage. Place over the highest possible heat and whisk continuously with a wire whisk.

Beat firmly with the whisk, scraping around the bottom of the pan to prevent the egg white solidifying. It is easier if you use a spatula for this. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat.

The egg white separates and floats on the surface. Add the white wine or vinegar. Simmer the broth very gently for 40-50 minutes without allowing it to boil. This gives the broth time to absorb all the flavor from the vegetables and seasonings.

The broth is clarified. You can see from looking at the pan that the egg white has absorbed even the tiniest impurities, leaving the broth completely clear. Line a conical strainer with filter paper and strain the hot broth. An alternative method is shown on the next page. A sheet of cheesecloth is attached to the legs of an upturned kitchen stool. [The book shows a picture with an upside-down stool and cheesecloth attached to the legs with a bowl underneath.]

Add the gelatin to the clarified broth. [Soften the gelatin in water for 5 minutes or so before adding it to the broth.] If the broth has become too cool during filtering, reheat to allow the gelatin to be completely dissolved.

A crystal-clear aspic of exactly the right consistency, firm enough but still tender. Three envelopes aspic powder or gelatin to 1 quart broth is about the average requirement. This quantity will keep the aspic firm at normal room temperature.

Aspic temerature

Regardless of whether you are filling a pie or covering a galatine, the correct temperature of the aspic jelly is always important. It should be used just before it reaches setting point, while still slightly fluid, but allowing it to set as quickly as possible once used. There is a very simple and reliable method of checking the temperature.

Pour a little liquid aspic into a bowl and keep the remaining warm aspic to hand. Place the bowl in iced water and stir gently with a small slotted spoon or pastry brush. Vigorous stirring would cause bubbles which would not look very good when poured over a terrine. Before setting you can see clearly that the aspic becomes slightly thick. Remove from the water at once and use. This ideal temperature period is quite short. If the aspic in the bowl begins to set, add a little of the warm aspic and if necessary cool again until you have the right consistency.