Jambon Soufflé Froid

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •7-cup or larger food processor
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Large chilled mixing bowl
• •Electric hand mixer or balloon whisk
• •Flat-bladed knife or small offset spatula
• •Chilled oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the ham base

   Prepare the ham base according to Jambon Soufflé (No. 1421), stopping once the trimmed meat and retained end bone are enclosed by the strong buttered-paper band. Do not add or poach the hot soufflé preparation. Chill the banded base completely, keeping it below 40°F (4°C), and reserve 2½ cups (340 g) of lean meat from the removed cushion for the cold mousse.

   A fully cooked, unsliced ham end is the honest home choice. A spiral-cut ham cannot hold the clean base or contour this reconstruction requires.
2. 2

   Build the setting stock

   Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cold water and leave it for 5 minutes to bloom. Meanwhile, simmer the unsalted stock in a small saucepan until reduced by half to ½ cup (120 ml). Take it off the heat, stir in the bloomed gelatin until perfectly clear, then add the Madeira and lemon juice. Reserve 2 tablespoons (30 ml) for glazing. Let the remainder cool until fluid but no longer warm. If it sets before you need it, warm it very gently until it loosens; do not let it simmer.

3. 3

   Purée the ham

   Process the chilled diced ham with ¼ cup (60 ml) of the cream, the white pepper, cayenne, and the fluid setting stock until as fine as the machine will make it. Press the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a chilled bowl. Taste a spoonful after chilling it briefly, then add salt only if the ham needs it. Set the bowl over ice and stir until the mixture thickens to the consistency of soft custard. If gelatin sets around the edges or forms lumps, lift the bowl over barely warm water and stir until smooth, then cool it again. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Whisk and fold

   Reserve about 1 tablespoon (20 ml) of the remaining cream, then whisk the other 1 cup (240 ml) in a chilled bowl until it holds soft, bending peaks. Stir one-quarter of the whisked cream into the ham base to lighten it, then fold in the rest in two additions with broad strokes from the bottom of the bowl. Stop as soon as the colour is even. If the cream was taken too far and looks grainy, fold the reserved liquid cream into it before combining; soft cream gives lift, stiff cream gives a coarse mousse.

5. 5

   Rebuild the ham

   Spoon the mousse inside the paper band a little at a time, pressing the first layer firmly against the remaining meat so no hollow seam forms. Continue until the removed cushion has been rebuilt and the joint has regained its rounded ham contour. Smooth the surface with the flat of a knife dipped in cold water. If the mousse begins to slump, refrigerate the joint for 10 minutes before finishing the shape; patience, not more gelatin.

6. 6

   Set and glaze

   Refrigerate the reconstructed ham for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until the mousse is firm from surface to centre. Peel away the paper band slowly. If it grips, slide a thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between the paper and mousse. Warm the reserved gelatin stock only until liquid, cool it until slightly thickened, then brush a very thin coat over the ham. If the glaze runs straight off, chill both ham and glaze for 5 minutes before trying again.

7. 7

   Carve it cold

   Set the Jambon Soufflé Froid on a chilled oval platter and let it stand for 10 minutes, just long enough to soften its chill without loosening the mousse. Carve generous slices with a thin knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts, cutting down toward the retained bone so each portion carries both mousse and ham. Bring the whole joint to the table before carving. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask for a small, fully cooked, bone-in ham end with its skin removed and the meat left unsliced. Mildly cured ham gives the mousse a cleaner flavour than an aggressively smoked joint, and the retained bone is essential to the dish's identity.
• •The sieve is not ceremony. The processor cuts the ham finely, but only pressing the purée through a fine mesh removes the stubborn fibres that would interrupt the mousse's smooth finish.
• •Match the textures before folding: the ham base should resemble soft custard and the cream should hold a bending peak. A rigid gelatin base breaks into flecks, while a warm one melts the cream's volume.
• •Cold dulls seasoning, but cured ham can already carry plenty of salt. Taste the purée from a chilled spoon before adding any, then sharpen it with white pepper and the smallest breath of cayenne.
• •Serve with a dry white wine or a lightly chilled, supple red. Keep the plate simple, because the reconstructed joint already has all the ceremony it needs.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare and chill the banded ham base a day before making the mousse. Keep it tightly covered so the cut surface does not dry.
• •The completed Jambon Soufflé Froid is best assembled the day before serving. Its mousse sets cleanly overnight, and the finished joint can be glazed several hours before it reaches the table.
• •Keep the finished dish refrigerated and serve within 2 days. Do not freeze it, since thawed whipped cream and gelatin separate and leave the mousse wet.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 550g)