Aspic de Homard

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •5-cup (1.2 L) plain metal ring or aspic mould
• •Shallow roasting tin large enough to hold the mould in an ice bath
• •Small heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Heatproof measuring jug with a pouring lip
• •Small heatproof cup for poaching the egg whites
• •Thin sharp slicing knife
• •Chilled oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Test the jelly

   Gently melt the white fish jelly from Aspic de Filets de Soles (No. 915) over low heat until fluid, never simmering, then let it cool until barely warm. Spoon 1 tablespoon (15 ml / about 15 g) onto a cold saucer and chill it for 10 minutes. It should hold when tipped, quiver under a finger, and cut without tearing. If it slumps, bloom the gelatin in 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) cold water for 5 minutes, dissolve it in ½ cup (120 ml / about 120 g) warm jelly, stir that back into the batch, and retest. If the jelly stands hard and rubbery, remelt it and add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time, up to 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 45 g), retesting after each addition. Correct it now, before the mould has anything to lose. Hold the jelly fluid over a bowl of barely warm water and skim away any bubbles.

2. 2

   Prepare the elements

   Put the egg whites in a small heatproof cup and stand it in a saucepan of barely simmering water reaching halfway up the cup. Cover and poach gently for 7 to 9 minutes, until the whites are opaque and firm without any browning. Cool them, turn them out, and cut small lozenges, crescents, or neat rounds. Slice the lobster meat across the grain about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, keeping the best rounds intact. Slice most of the truffle very thinly and cut the remainder into shapes for the crown. Break the coral into small regular pieces. Blot the lobster, truffle, egg white, coral, capers, and tarragon dry, because surface moisture weakens the layers and clouds the jelly.

3. 3

   Set the first coat

   Nest the metal mould level in a shallow roasting tin filled with ice and cold water. Pour in about 3 tablespoons (45 ml / about 45 g) of the fluid white fish jelly from Aspic de Filets de Soles (No. 915), just enough to coat the bottom by about ⅛ inch (3 mm). Chill for 8 to 10 minutes, until the coating is set and no longer wet but still slightly tacky.

4. 4

   Fix the decoration

   Remember that the bottom of the mould will become the crown. Arrange truffle shapes, poached egg white, lobster coral, capers, and tarragon leaves in a regular, symmetrical design on the set coating. Fix every piece with a few cold drops of the white fish jelly from Aspic de Filets de Soles (No. 915), then chill for 5 minutes. If anything drifts, lift it back into place and secure it with one more cold drop. Don't chase decoration through a pool of warm jelly.

5. 5

   Build the clear crown

   Spoon a very thin veil of the white fish jelly from Aspic de Filets de Soles (No. 915) over the fixed decoration, pouring over the back of a spoon so the current cannot disturb it. Chill for 5 minutes, then add more jelly until the clear crown measures about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in total. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes, until completely firm. This full clear layer is not empty space. It magnifies the design and gives the aspic enough strength to stand.

6. 6

   Layer lobster and truffle

   Arrange overlapping slices of lobster and black truffle in alternating rows over the set jelly, leaving a narrow clear margin around the mould. Spoon in just enough cool white fish jelly from Aspic de Filets de Soles (No. 915) to cover the slices by about ⅛ inch (3 mm), then chill for 15 to 20 minutes. If the slices rise, the jelly was too warm or the layer beneath was not firm. Lift them out, blot them dry, chill the mould and jelly for another 10 minutes, then replace them. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Complete the mould

   Continue with another clear band of white fish jelly from Aspic de Filets de Soles (No. 915), building it toward 1 inch (2.5 cm) and chilling it until firm. Add another overlapping layer of lobster and truffle, cover it with jelly, and repeat as the depth of the mould allows. Finish with at least ¼ inch (6 mm) of clear jelly so the aspic has a stable base when turned out. Cover only after the surface has set, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

8. 8

   Unmould and serve

   Chill the serving platter. Fill a basin with hot tap water at about 120 to 130°F (49 to 54°C), then dip the mould to just below its rim for 5 seconds. Dry it completely, place the platter over it, invert both together, and give one decisive shake. If the aspic does not release, dip it for another 2 seconds and try again. Never leave it soaking. If the outer surface softens before release, return the whole mould to the refrigerator for 20 minutes and begin again. Cut with a knife dipped in warm water and wiped dry, then serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Taste the saucer test cold, not the fluid jelly from the saucepan. Cold mutes seasoning, and a jelly that tastes merely pleasant while warm can become vacant once set. The finished component should taste distinctly of fish stock without becoming salty.
• •Ask the fishmonger for two freshly cooked lobsters and specify that you need the coral. The book assumes cooked lobster was already waiting in the cold kitchen; buying it cooked removes brigade scaffolding without changing the dish.
• •A fresh black truffle is splendid when the season gives you one. At other times, use a whole preserved black truffle, drained and dried with care. Truffle oil cannot supply the alternating slices or the quiet earthy bite this mould requires.
• •Use a plain metal mould rather than silicone. Metal takes the cold quickly, gives sharp layers, and responds predictably to the brief hot-water dip. An ornate mould looks impressive while making the release needlessly temperamental.
• •Serve the aspic properly cold with a dry Champagne or a mineral white Burgundy. Keep any salad or bread beside it, never piled against the jelly where dressing and crumbs can spoil its clarity.

Advance Preparation

• •The white fish jelly from Aspic de Filets de Soles (No. 915) may be prepared up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Melt it gently before testing the set, and never let it boil.
• •The entire aspic is best assembled the day before serving. Once its final surface is firm, cover the mould closely so the jelly cannot absorb refrigerator odours.
• •The lobster can be picked and sliced earlier the same day, then kept covered and thoroughly chilled. Keep the coral in a separate small container so it remains intact for the decoration.
• •Unmould as close to serving as possible. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and eat them within 2 days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)