Shrimp Aspic
Description
The appetizer comes together quickly and easily. I want to warn you that if you use frozen shrimp, you won’t get any real broth at all. You’ll end up with a stew of preservatives and dyes. So I strongly recommend using good lightly frozen or fresh shrimp. Fortunately, they’re easy to find in any large supermarket these days. Plain frozen shrimp in bags are better suited to salads, where they aren’t the star ingredient and are mixed with other things. But the broth for aspic is made from the shrimp, so that’s a completely different matter—and a completely different taste. For the sake of experiment, you can try boiling frozen shrimp from the refrigerator, taste the broth… is it even worth talking about any difference? It won’t even be the right color. Fresh or lightly frozen shrimp, full of flavor and free of artificial preservatives and dyes, will win you over with their smell alone! Imagine how fragrant the shrimp aspic will be! Let’s begin. 1. If your shrimp are in the shell, peel them. 2. Pour water into a pot and bring it to a boil. As soon as the water boils, season it with salt and pepper and add the shrimp. 3. In a separate small pot, cook the carrots. You can cook them in their skins. 4. After the water comes to a boil again, cook the shrimp for two more minutes and remove them from the pot. 5. Place the shrimp in a bowl and set them in a cool spot—for example, by a window or on the balcony, if it isn’t freezing. 6. Strain the broth. Then return the clear broth to the pot, cook over medium heat, adding gelatin and stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved. 7. Cut the carrots into thin matchsticks or decorative rounds, for a pretty aspic. 8. Prepare the mold in which you want to serve the shrimp aspic. 9. Arrange the shrimp, carrots, and sprigs of fresh herbs in it. 10. Pour in the broth and refrigerate until set. 11. Shrimp aspic needs at least an hour and a half to set. Serve with herbs and sauce.