Aspic
Description
A tasty appetizer for any gathering. Aspic made with chicken broth and chicken meat is lighter. Adding pickled vegetables makes its flavor richer and brighter. The proportions are based on 500 g of chicken, but it is more economical to cook the whole bird. The leftovers will be quite enough for an excellent soup. Serve the appetizer at the table.
Instructions
- 1
Step 1
Rinse the chicken well and pat it dry. Cut it into four pieces and cook a good, rich broth. You can do this on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. The main thing is that the broth should be full-bodied and rich. Simmer it over low heat, adding an onion and root vegetables. Do not add a bay leaf—it has no place here. It's best to let the finished broth rest for a while.
- 2
Step 2
Remove the cooked chicken from the broth, let it cool, remove the skin and bones, and cut the meat into small cubes. Finely chop the pickled cucumbers and peppers as well; slice the olives into rings; and drain the peas and corn well from their liquid.
- 3
Step 3
Place all the ingredients in a deep bowl, season lightly with salt, pepper with black pepper, and add a little chili to taste, preferably in flakes so it colors the broth less. Mix well.
- 4
Step 4
Soak the gelatin according to the instructions on the package. I do not specify the exact amounts of broth and gelatin, because some people prefer aspic with more firmly set jelly, while others prefer a thicker version.
- 5
Step 5
Strain the broth carefully and reheat it. Dissolve the gelatin in the measured broth.
- 6
Step 6
Next, you can simply spread the meat-and-vegetable mixture into a deep tray and pour broth over it. Or you can make an attractive individual presentation. For this, you will need molds of the same shape in different sizes, such as cupcake molds. Then pour a little gelatin broth into the meat-and-vegetable mixture and stir. Pack the mixture tightly into the smaller molds, pressing down lightly. Place the molds in the freezer until the mixture sets. If the molds are silicone, put a rigid board underneath them.
- 7
Step 7
Remove the set meat-and-vegetable mixture from the freezer and transfer it to larger molds. Fill to the top with gelatin broth and return to the freezer. Check that it does not freeze solid, but only sets.
- 8
Step 8
Separately, dissolve 5 g of gelatin in 150 ml of broth and mix it with horseradish mayonnaise, stirring well. Remove the molds with the partially set aspic from the freezer and pour a layer of mayonnaise jelly on top. Refrigerate for a couple of hours.
- 9
Step 9
Serve the aspic straight from the refrigerator, garnished with herbs. Serve mustard and horseradish separately.