Mousse Froide de Jambon à l’Alsacienne

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •18 cm (7-inch) square glass or porcelain dish, at least 5 cm deep
• •Medium saucepan
• •Food processor
• •Fine-mesh sieve or drum sieve
• •Electric mixer or balloon whisk
• •Small offset spatula
• •Dessertspoon for shaping the foie-gras shells
• •Shallow tray larger than the serving dish

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cold station

   Clear a flat refrigerator shelf and chill an 18 cm square dish at least 5 cm deep. Measure ½ cup (120 ml) of the cold chicken stock into a wide bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface, and leave it undisturbed for 10 minutes. Every grain must drink before it meets heat; stirring dry gelatin into hot liquid makes stubborn little pearls.

   Use a transparent glass dish if you want the layers visible at the table. Porcelain is equally proper, but the glass makes judging their depth easier.
2. 2

   Make the Madeira aspic

   Pour the remaining 2½ cups (600 ml) chicken stock into a saucepan and hold it at a lively simmer until reduced to 2 cups (480 ml), about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove it from the heat, add the bloomed gelatin with its stock, and stir gently until completely dissolved. Stir in the Madeira without boiling it, then pass the liquid through a dampened fine sieve or cheesecloth. Measure ¾ cup (180 ml) into one bowl for the ham mousse and pour the remaining 2 cups (480 ml) into a jug for the covering aspic. Cool both until no longer warm and just beginning to gain body.

3. 3

   Make the fine mousse

   Process the cold diced ham with the reserved ¾ cup (180 ml) Madeira aspic and the white pepper until no visible pieces remain, scraping the bowl several times. Press the purée through a fine-mesh sieve; this is what makes it a fine mousse rather than minced ham held in jelly, and it must stay. Whip the cold cream to soft peaks, fold one third into the ham to loosen it, then fold in the rest without beating out the air. Taste before adding salt, since both ham and reduced stock may already provide enough. If the gelatin begins setting into threads before the cream is incorporated, stand the bowl over barely warm water and fold slowly just until smooth. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Set the ham layer

   Spoon the mousse into the chilled square dish until it is half full. Press it gently into the corners, tap the dish once against a folded towel to settle hidden pockets, and level the surface with a small offset spatula dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Refrigerate on the prepared flat shelf for 1½ to 2 hours, until the surface feels firm and does not cling to a fingertip. Do not arrange the foie-gras Parfait on a merely chilled mousse. It must be set.

5. 5

   Raise the foie shells

   Keep the foie-gras Parfait cold while you work. Dip a dessertspoon into hot water, wipe it dry, and scoop a shallow oval of parfait, rolling it from the spoon onto the set mousse. Use the spoon’s edge to draw light curved ridges across the oval so it resembles a small shell. Repeat to make 8 evenly spaced shells. If the parfait cracks, let it soften for 5 minutes; if it slumps or smears, return it and the dish to the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Work cleanly, then proceed at once.

6. 6

   Cover with aspic

   Bring the remaining Madeira aspic to the half-melted stage described by the source: thick enough to coat a spoon, completely pourable, and cool to the touch. If it has set solid, stand its jug in warm water and stir gently until it loosens, then cool it again before pouring. Direct the aspic slowly down the inside wall of the dish and around the foie-gras shells before covering their tops by about 6 mm. Aspic that is warm melts the parfait; aspic that is too cold lands in ridges. If the first spoonful makes a cloudy smear, stop, chill the dish for 10 minutes, skim away the loose smudge, and cool the aspic further before continuing. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Set the final layer

   Return the dish to its flat shelf without disturbing the shells. Chill uncovered for 20 minutes so the surface cannot catch marks from a covering, then cover without touching the aspic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The aspic is ready when it is clear, firmly trembles as one piece, and springs back from a light touch.

8. 8

   Serve nested in ice

   Just before serving, pack the crushed ice into a shallow tray and hollow out a level bed for the square dish. Nestle the dish deeply enough that the ice reaches halfway up its sides, the home equivalent of incrusting it in a carved block. Cut down through all three elements with a narrow knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, then lift each serving with a broad spoon or small square server. Keep the dish properly cold and return any remainder to the refrigerator after service. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a mild cooked ham with a clean pork flavor, not a honey-glazed or aggressively smoked one. The mousse magnifies whatever the ham brings, and sweetness or heavy smoke overwhelms the foie gras and Madeira.
• •The stock must taste deeper than broth you would drink from a cup. Reduction supplies flavor, while measured gelatin supplies the reliable set once provided by a stockpot rich in bones and feet.
• •Buy a perfectly smooth foie-gras Parfait that holds a clean spoon mark when cold. A coarse country pâté cannot form the shells and changes the intended contrast between fine mousse, creamy parfait, and clear aspic.
• •Use dry or medium-dry Madeira, never salted cooking wine. The amount is small, but its nutty warmth runs through both the mousse and the covering aspic.
• •Serve with plain toasted brioche or good white bread and a sharply dressed salad on the side. A dry Crémant d’Alsace or an Alsatian Pinot Gris has enough freshness for the richness without crowding the dish.

Advance Preparation

• •Assemble the complete dish the day before serving. Once the aspic has set for 20 minutes, cover it without touching the surface and keep it refrigerated.
• •The Madeira aspic may be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Remelt it gently over warm water, never by boiling, then cool it to the required coating consistency before using.
• •Do not freeze the finished dish. Freezing breaks the mousse’s fine texture and makes the aspic weep as it thaws.
• •Crush and arrange the serving ice only at the last moment. The ice is service equipment, not part of the set dish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 340g)