Gelee de Volaille à la Napolitaine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •3-quart nonreactive saucepan
• •Smooth 2 1/2-quart mold or individual consommé cups
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Damp muslin or several layers of cheesecloth
• •Metal mixing bowl and larger bowl for an ice bath
• •Small saucer for testing the set

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the mold

   Rinse a smooth 2 1/2-quart mold with very cold water, drain it without drying, and place it in the refrigerator with the serving platter. Put a small saucer in the freezer for the set test. The thin film of water helps the finished gelée release without coating its clear surface in oil.

2. 2

   Bloom the gelatin

   Pour 1 cup (240 ml / about 240 g) of the cold prepared Consommé Portugaise into a wide bowl. Reserve 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 3 g) of the gelatin, then sprinkle the remaining 32 g evenly over the consommé. Do not empty it into one mound, which leaves dry pellets trapped inside. Let it stand for 10 minutes, until every grain has swollen and the mixture resembles a soft, opaque sponge.

   This quantity assumes standard powdered gelatin of roughly 225-bloom strength. Gelatin varies, which is why the cold test comes before the mold.
3. 3

   Dissolve and finish

   Warm the remaining prepared Consommé Portugaise in a 3-quart saucepan over gentle heat to 60 to 65°C, hot enough to dissolve gelatin but nowhere near a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, add the bloomed gelatin, and stir slowly until the liquid is perfectly clear. Stir in the 2 port wine-glasses of port or old Marsala, exactly one glass for each quart as the source directs. Taste a chilled teaspoonful rather than the warm liquid; cold mutes seasoning, so add a small pinch of salt only if the cold sample tastes flat.

4. 4

   Test the set

   Spoon 2 tablespoons (30 ml / about 30 g) onto the frozen saucer and chill it for 8 to 10 minutes. Push it with the tip of a spoon. It should wrinkle gently, part cleanly, and tremble when the saucer moves. If it remains liquid, ça se rattrape: sprinkle the reserved 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 3 g) gelatin over the cold water, leave it for 5 minutes, then dissolve it in 1/2 cup (120 ml / about 120 g) of the warm gelée and stir that mixture back into the pan. Test again before proceeding.

   Never boil the finished mixture. Hard heat dulls the wine, traps foam, and works against the clear, delicate result this dish requires.
5. 5

   Strain and mold

   Pass the gelée through a fine sieve lined with damp muslin into a clean metal bowl, letting it run without pressing. Set the bowl over ice and stir slowly until the liquid feels cool but remains fluid. If it begins to thicken around the bowl before you can pour it, set the bowl briefly over barely warm water and stir until fluid again. Pour it down the side of the chilled mold to avoid bubbles, then lift away any surface foam with the edge of a spoon.

6. 6

   Chill until tender

   Refrigerate the mold until the surface has set, about 30 minutes, then cover it without letting the covering touch the gelée. Chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. The finished gelée should be quite clear and firm enough to unmold, yet soft enough to quiver rather than stand rigid.

7. 7

   Unmould and serve

   Dip the mold into warm water for 5 seconds, dry the outside, and invert it onto the chilled platter. If it does not release, repeat the dip for only 2 seconds; too long in the water melts the outer detail. Serve the gelée very cold, using a broad spoon so each portion keeps its trembling shape. No stray herbs or decorative vegetables belong on it. Clarity is its finish. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Begin with fully prepared Consommé Portugaise. Plain boxed chicken broth is not its equivalent; it lacks the clarification, concentration, and tomato character the source specifically carries into this gelée.
• •Choose a port or old Marsala you would pour into a glass. Tawny port gives a round, mellow finish, while an old dry Marsala is nuttier and keeps the sweetness restrained. Bottled cooking wine has no place here.
• •The cold-saucer test decides the texture more reliably than any fixed gelatin number. If a naturally gelatin-rich Consommé Portugaise begins to set before the powdered gelatin is added, reduce the initial gelatin slightly and trust the test.
• •For service in the cold-soup register, divide the mixture among chilled consommé cups and serve it set in place. For a dinner party centerpiece, use the single smooth mold and unmould it onto a cold platter.
• •Keep the finish bare. A clear gelée shows every unnecessary leaf, bubble, and careless speck, and this dish has already been garnished by its color and perfume.

Advance Preparation

• •Have the Consommé Portugaise completely prepared, strained, and cold before beginning this entry. Its method remains in its own recipe, exactly as the source intends.
• •The gelée can be molded up to two days before serving. Cover it only after the surface has set, then keep it continuously refrigerated and unmould it shortly before the guests sit down.
• •If using individual cups, fill and chill them the day before. Set them directly on cold underplates at service, which removes the only last-minute task.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 185g)