Jellied Beef Tongue with Gelatin
Description
Aspic is delicious on its own, and aspic with tongue is twice as delicious! This dish turns out truly delicacy-worthy—it will not only brighten your table with its vivid appearance, but also bring great pleasure to all your guests. A tasty and impressive appetizer for any festive table. You can make the aspic from this recipe either in one large mold or in individual portion molds. Garnish it however you like. For a special occasion, decorate it with pomegranate and lemon slices—the appetizer will look very striking. Serve the appetizer at the table.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Prepare all the ingredients. If you plan to use carrots for garnish, choose small vegetables. Small carrots cut into slices will look more attractive.
- 2
Step 2
Rinse the beef tongue, remove excess fat, cover with cold water, and place over high heat. As soon as the broth comes to a boil and foam appears, drain the water, rinse the tongue, cover with water again, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to the minimum and simmer the tongue for 2–2.5 hours.
- 3
Step 3
Then add the peeled carrots, the onion cut into pieces, a bay leaf, and peppercorns. Simmer for another 30–60 minutes. At the very end, add salt to taste. To check if the tongue is done, pierce the thickest part with a knife or fork. When the tongue is cooked, the meat is tender and the juices run clear.
- 4
Step 4
Remove the cooked tongue and place it in ice water for 10 minutes. Placing the tongue in cold water will help remove the skin.
- 5
Step 5
Make a crosswise cut in the tongue with a knife and clean off the top layer. Remove any remaining fat and membrane. If the skin is difficult to peel off, return the tongue to the broth and simmer a little longer.
- 6
Step 6
Measure 1.5 liters of broth and strain it through several layers of cheesecloth placed in a colander, then cool and refrigerate. When the broth is cold, add the gelatin and let it stand for the time required according to the package instructions. Then warm over low heat, stirring constantly without bringing to a boil.
- 7
Step 7
Cut the tongue into cubes, strips, or pieces — whichever you prefer.
- 8
Step 8
Take a jellied mold and pour a one-centimeter layer of broth with gelatin onto the bottom. Arrange the tongue pieces on a plate and garnish to taste. As garnish, you can add boiled carrots, chicken or quail eggs, peas, fresh herbs, and so on. Pour the broth and gelatin mixture over the top, adding the liquid gradually so as not to disturb the structure of the jellied dish, and refrigerate until set.
- 9
Step 9
The jellied beef tongue with gelatin is ready.