Bonophool Banerjee

( for 4th Semester)

ASPIC AND CHAUD-FROID AND COLEES

Aspic jelly,or gelée (zhuh lay),is clarified stock that contains enough
gelatin that it solidifies when cold. The gelatine may be naturally
extracted from bones or added from a package. Good stock naturally
contains a certain amount of gelatine but, in most cases, it must be
supplemented with additional unflavoured packaged gelatine. Aspic jelly
may be nearly colourless (white aspic) or various shades of amber. Most
often, however, it must be crystal clear. This is achieved by clarifying it
like a consommé. White or light-coloured aspic is used when the natural
colours of the foods and decorations must show through. Amber or golden
aspic enhances the brown colour of foods such as roasted meats and
poultry. Aspic is used as a coating for foods and as a binding ingredient.
When it is used as a coating, it has three main purposes:

1. To protect foods from the air, which would dry them out and discolour
them.
2. To improve appearance and give shine.
3. To add flavour. This last purpose is, of course, best accomplished if the
stock is of
high quality.
As a binding ingredient, aspic is used in mousses, terrines, and aspic
moulds. It is also the binding agent in chaud-froid sauce.

Note: When aspic is used as a binding agent, it need not be

perfectly clarified. In addition, when congealed and chopped or
cut into various shapes, aspic jelly is used as a garnish for
platters or servings of pâtés, terrines, and other cold items.

PREPARING ASPIC JELLY

The best aspic is a well-made, naturally gelatinous stock. It has a superior
texture and flavour, but it is time-consuming to make because a separate
batch of stock must be made in addition to the normal stock production.
Consequently, most aspics are made by reinforcing regular stock with
gelatin. Aspic powders and mixes are available, but the flavour of aspic
made from them does not compare with that made from stock. They can
be useful in an emergency, however, or for pieces used purely for display
or decoration.

Classic Aspic Jelly

Prepare classic aspic jelly as you would white or brown veal stock,but with
the addition of products that release a good deal of gelatin,such as split
calves’feet or pigs’feet,pork skin, and veal knuckle bones. If enough of
these items are used, the stock will contain enough natural gelatin to be
used as an aspic jelly. Follow basic stock-making procedures, except do
not brown the added feet and pork skin when making brown stock.When
the stock is made, use the following procedure to convert it to aspic jelly.

Procedure for Preparing Classic Aspic Jelly

1. Test the stock for gelatin content. Ladle a small amount of cooled stock
onto a small plate or saucer and refrigerate.

• If the stock becomes firm, no additional gelatin is needed.

• If it sets but is not firm enough, add about 1⁄2 oz or 2 tbsp (15 g)
powdered gelatin per quart (liter) of stock, or 2 oz (60 g) per gallon (4
liters).
• If it does not set at all (which is unlikely if the stock is properly made)
but merely becomes thicker, add about 1 oz or 4 tbsp (30 g) powdered
gelatin per quart (liter), or 4 oz (125 g) per gallon (4 liters). In this case,
you will actually be making regular aspic jelly (see next section) rather
than classic aspic jelly. Add the gelatin by first stirring it gradually into a
little cold water, avoiding making lumps, and letting it soften. Then add
the softened gelatin to the stock.

2. Clarify the stock as for consommé. For white aspic (made with white
stock), omit the carrots in the mirepoix.

3. After the stock is clarified, remove all traces of fat. The aspic jelly is
now ready to use.

Regular Aspic Jelly

This is normal meat, poultry, or fish stock reinforced with gelatin and
clarified.Regular stock rarely has enough natural gelatin to enable it to be
used as a jelly, so extra gelatin must be added. To test the stock for
gelatine content and to convert it to aspic jelly,follow the same procedure
as for classic aspic jelly, described above. However, note that if the stock
contains very little gelatin and stays watery when chilled, more than 4 oz
(125 g) gelatin may be needed per gallon (4 liters).

Aspic Powder
Aspic powder is unflavoured gelatine mixed with a powdered stock
base.To prepare it, follow the instructions on the container. Additional
unflavoured gelatine may be needed for some purposes. Procedures for
using aspic jelly are discussed following a brief consideration of a related
topic,chaud-froid sauce.

The Addition of Wine:

A lot of chefs recommend the addition of wines to aspic jelly to enhance
the flavor and the taste of the product. If used, the wine should be added
when the aspic jelly is still liquid. This will ensure that the full aroma of the
wine is preserved. The recommended wines are port, madeira, sherry,
marsala and crisp white wines.

Characteristics of Good Aspic Jelly:

Aspic Jelly can be graded on the following parameters

Flavour, Tooth, Clarity ,Colour

The flavour of an aspic jelly should be intense enough to make the mouth
water. Yet, it should not be so strong so as to over power the flavor of the
main ingredient of the product. There are three aspects to the flavour of
the aspic jelly. The first is the depth of character. This comes from the
proper preparation of the stock. The flavour should not be watery and
weak. It should be full bodied and robust. Seasoning is another area. The
aspic jelly needs to be properly seasoned, and here we are primarily
talking salt. The flavours of the ingredients need to be released. And
lastly, there is the matter of acidity. Slightly elevating the level of acidity
will serve to accent and enliven the flavours already present. This can be
done by adding wine, lemon juice or a flavoured vinegar. However, adding
acid must be done with care. Remember, acid can interfere with the
gelling of the aspic jelly and alter the strength of the gel.
Tooth is the density or the elasticity of the jelly. The jelly should be firm
enough to hold the desired shape, yet, once it is in the mouth, it should
dissolve immediately. The jelly should not be rubbery or chewy. There are
two factors which determine the mouth feel of aspic jelly. First is the ratio
of gelatin in the jelly. The other is the service temperature of the jelly.
Aspic jelly must be strong enough to allow clean slicing, yet delicate
enough to offer a good tooth. The best way to achieve this is to slice the
product as soon as it comes out of the refrigerator and then allowing the
slices to warm up slightly, softening the gel, before service .Aspic jelly
should be absolutely crystal clear.
The range of colors in aspic jelly lie between the rich amber almost brown
color that can be used for game, to a nearly colorless one for fish.
Additional tomes of red can be obtained and achieved depending on the
wine used in the preparation.

Handling and Storing Aspic Jelly:

Aspic Jelly is a potentially hazardous food, an ideal environment for the
growth of bacteria. It is high in moisture content, high in protein and
comes from an animal source. In order to prolong its shelf life and to
ensure its wholesomeness, car must be taken in storing prepared aspic
jelly.
Use only clean sanitized containers for storage. Once the jelly has set,
handle it as little as possible. This will help minimize the growth of
bacteria. Allow the jelly to set without stirring. When it sets as a single
block, it seals itself exposing only the top surface to contamination. Once
set, the gel should be covered. Cooling of the aspic jelly should be
achieved rapidly.

Procedure for Cooling Aspic Jelly

The following procedure is used for chaud-froid as well as aspic jelly.

1. If the jelly is congealed, it must first be melted. Set the pan or container
of jelly in a hot-water bath. Stir it gently from time to time until it is
completely melted.

2. Place the warm aspic jelly in a stainless-steel bowl.

3. At all times, be careful not to make any bubbles. Bubbles in the jelly
may get transferred to the surface of your food item and mar its
appearance.

4. Select a ladle that fits the curve of the bowl. Set the bowl in crushed
ice, pushing it in so that it sits in a well of ice. With the edge of the ladle
against the inside of the bowl, rotate the bowl so the ladle continually
scrapes the inside of the bowl. This method prevents the formation of
lumps that occur when jelly touching the cold bowl solidifies too quickly.

5. Continue to rotate the bowl until the jelly is thick and syrupy but not yet
set. The jelly is now ready for use. Remove from the ice bath and work
quickly, because it will set very fast.

6. Re melt and re cool the jelly as necessary.

Procedure for Coating Foods with Aspic Jelly

1. Chill the food to be coated. For best results, the surface of the item
should be as smooth and as free of fat as possible.

2. Place the item on a wire rack over a tray or sheet pan. Excess aspic
that falls onto the tray can be remelted and reused.

3. Cool the aspic jelly according to the procedure above.

4. Use the aspic as soon as it is ready. Various methods can be used to

coat foods with aspic, depending on the size and shape of the item.

• For smooth, regularly shaped items, use a large ladle and nap them with
a single smooth stroke, as illustrated in Figure 27.1. Working too slowly
may produce an uneven, bumpy coat.

• Large items and items with steep sides or irregular shapes are harder to
coat. Using a ladle, coat the sides first and then the top for best results.

• For small items, it may be more convenient to use a kitchen spoon than
a ladle.

• A pastry brush can be used to coat small items. A brush is often used for
small portions, such as canapés, that need only a light glaze rather than a
perfectly smooth coating of aspic.

5. Chill the items until the jelly is thoroughly set.

6. Repeat with additional coats, if necessary, until the aspic is of the

desired thickness.

7. To decorate, dip pieces of decoration in liquid aspic and place on the

product in the desired pattern. Some items appropriate to use for
decorating aspic are Leek leaves Black olives Tomato peels ,Fresh herbs,
especially flat-leaf Truffles, real or artificial Carrots parsley and
tarragon ,As appropriate, cut the items for decoration into very thin slices
and then into desired shapes. For most vegetable decorations, such as
carrots and leek leaves, blanch to make them more limber and to intensify
the color.

8. If decorations have been used, cover the decorated item with a final
layer of aspic jelly to protect the design.

Uses of Aspic Jelly:

To coat showpieces such as whole turkeys and hams.
1. For Aspic sheets, Aspic mirrors and Aspic cut outs. Decorative center
pieces can be made using colored aspic.
2. To fill cavities in Pates.
3. To line moulds for cold buffet presentation.
4. To glaze whole terrines and galantines and items coated with chaud
froid.
5. To prepare aspic croutons which can be used to garnish cold platters or
even added into salads
6. Chopped aspic, which can be used as a base to present a variety of
cold meats on the buffet.
7. To glaze canapes, zakuski and other hors d’oeuvres.

Gelee also has its uses in the kitchen. As explained earlier, gelee is stock
that has been reduced and cooled down to a gelatinous consistency. It
can be used to enrich soups, sauces and gravies. It can also enhance the
taste of stews an sauces. Gelee can be used to glaze cold meat products
to prevent them from drying out during the long presentation times on
the buffet counter.

CHAUD-FROID
Described in simplest terms, chaud-froid sauce is a white sauce
containing enough gelatin that it sets like an aspic.The name chaud-froid
is French for “hot-cold.”The sauce is so called because the classic version
is made hot but eaten cold. Today,chaud-froid sauce is rarely used except
for display pieces on buffets.Its main purpose there is to provide a
smooth,uniformly white background for colored decorations. Because it is
not eaten in these cases,it does not have to have a good flavor,and it may
be made out of a simple béchamel sauce thickened with a roux made with
white shortening.

Nevertheless,chaud-froid sauce finds occasional use in cold dishes—for

example, as a component of some aspic moulds and terrines. A brief
discussion is warranted without going into the kind of detail found in
books on garde manger.
Many kinds of white sauce may be used as a base for chaud-
froid,including cream sauces, white stocks enriched with cream or cream
and egg yolks, veloutés, and mayonnaise. There are also colored chaud-
froid sauces, but they are not often used. Red sauce can be made with the
addition of tomato paste and, sometimes, paprika. Green sauce is colored
with spinach and watercress, puréed with some of the hot sauce,and
strained. Brown chaud-froid can be made by combining glace de viande,
tomato sauce, and aspic jelly in equal proportions.

Preparing Chaud-Froid Sauce

Two basic types of chaud-froid sauce are considered here, one based on
white stock and cream,the other on mayonnaise. Both of these are of
good eating quality and can be used for first-class cold foods. Heavier
types based on roux-thickened sauces may be economical to make but
are more appropriate for inedible display pieces.
Two recipes for chaud-froid are given here. Classic chaud-froid is
essentially an aspic jelly with the addition of cream or a cream and egg
yolk liaison. In fact, it can be made by combining aspic jelly and cream,but
this mixture would have to be reinforced with extra gelatin because of
the quantity of cream. Mayonnaise chaud-froid, also called mayonnaise
collée,which means something like “glued mayonnaise,” is simply a
mixture of aspic jelly and mayonnaise. It is easy to make and,if the two
ingredients are of good quality, is a tasty and useful chaudfroid. The basic
proportion is equal parts aspic jelly and mayonnaise.The proportion canbe
varied to taste,however, from 1 part aspic and 2 parts mayonnaise to 1
part mayonnaise and 2 parts aspic jelly.
Using a commercially made mayonnaise is recommended. If you are using
a homemade mayonnaise, it is best to prepare the chaud-froid at the last
minute and use it at once.Reheating it to melt it could cause the
mayonnaise to break. Commercial mayonnaise, on the other hand, can
generally be melted without damage, but it is still best to
use the sauce as soon it is made.

Galantines, timbales, terrines, whole or smaller joints of poultry and ham are some of the
products that can be coated with a chaud – froid. The purpose of coating items with a chaud –
froid are :

a. protection of the item from the air while it sits on the buffet.
b. the sauce acts as a background or a canvas on which to decorate.
c. the chaud – froid is an adornment itself.
the sauce can complement the flavor of the coated item

TYPES OF CHAUD - FROID

The two primary methods of preparing Chaud – froid are the classical and the contemporary
methods.
THE CLASSICAL METHOD:
The classical method calls for the use of Béchamel or Veloute. This is reduced with a stock,
suitable for the product that needs to be coated. This reduction is then fortified with a suitable
aspic jelly and cream.
THE CONTEMPORY METHOD:
A modern variation of the sauce is prepared without a base of the roux. The result is a sauce,
which has a less starchy mouth feel. The method is also faster to prepare.
VARIATIONS:
Chaud – froid can be made in a variety of colors. Only natural ingredients must be used to
obtain the colors using the basic colors. For a brown chaud – froid, replace the cream with a
reduced jus. A green chaud – froid can be made by using spinach puree. Red chaud – froid
needs paprika plus tomato puree. Carrots, red peppers and even saffron are used to create a
variety of colors.
USING CHAUD-FROID SAUCE

As discussed earlier, aspic and chaud-froid are used to enhance both the
appearance and the flavour of cold foods. For best results, the aspic and
chaud-froid, as well as the foods to be coated, should be prepared and
handled in specific ways. The following sections offer general procedures
for handling these products. Specific applications, such as recipes for
aspic-based terrine moulds, are included later in the chapter. Aspic jelly
must be cooled to just above congealing temperature before it is used to
coat foods. If it is too warm, it will not have enough body to coat and will
just run off.

Coating with Chaud-Froid

Apply chaud-froid sauce according to the same procedure as for aspic.
Because most chaud-froid is thicker than aspic, it is usually kept a little
warmer when poured. If the first layer of chaud-froid is too transparent or
not thick enough ,apply one or two additional layers. After the chaud-froid
has chilled and set,apply decorations if desired. Finish with a layer of aspic
for best appearance.

APPLYING THE CHAUD – FROID

There are a series of steps involved in the application of chaud – froid.
a. Preparing the item for coating
- Items to be coated should be well chilled. This helps to adhere the sauce to the
surface. Chaud – froid will run off the surface of a warm item before it can set.
- The surface of the food to be coated should be smooth and trimmed of any rough
edges. It is not possible to create a smooth finish to a product if the under surface is
rough and jagged.
- Surface grease must be removed before the coating of chaud – froid is applied. The
coating will not stick to a greasy surface. If there is a skin attached to the product, it
should be removed. This will ensure that the fat and the grease are also removed.
- The item to be covered should be blotted/dabbed dry. This will allow better adhesion
of the sauce.
b. Tempering the Chaud – Froid

Chaud – froid sauce should be tempered before applying. Once the item has been properly
prepped, the sauce may be tempered. This involves bringing the temperature of the sauce,
either by heating or cooling, to a point that will allow the best and easiest coating. Gelling
takes place at around 85°F. Normally, the closer you can maintain the sauce to this
temperature without it getting too thick, the more evenly it will coat. In the ideal situation, it
should take only 2 or 3 coats for a smooth and glistening finish.
If the sauce is too warm, it tends to wash over the item leaving only a thin layer of the sauce.
If extremely warm, it might even melt the previous layers that have already been applied.
If the Chaud – froid is too cold and thick, it will not form an even layer. The sauce will form
lumps and might even leave air bubbles on the surface. The sauce will not coat the item
smoothly, because it sets too quickly in runs.
A sauce that is tempered properly will be easily controled, it will give a smooth and even
coating and it will make the application of the coating easier and more efficient.
c. Ladle Method or Dipping Method?
There are two ways to apply a Chaud – froid sauce. It can either be ladled onto the product r
the item to be coated can be dipped into it. The ladling method is suitable for large joints or
pieces of meat. Smaller items are more evenly coated by dipping. Also, unevenly shaped
items are more easily coated by the dipping method. In each case, it is advisable to apply
more than one coat of the sauce to give an even appearance and a smooth complete finish.
Whichever method of coating is used, it is essential to refrigerate them between each coat and
before the final trim.

d. Trimming

Trimming is the final step in preparing the item for decoration. Carefully remove the item
from the pan in which it was coated taking care not to rip the product away. The item should
be cut away with the help of a palette knife being run around the base of the product.
Preferably, dip the knife in hot water first. Line up the trimmed chaud – froid on a clean and
fresh tray.
At this point, they are no longer items or products….they are now Chaud – froids. They now
need only to be decorated before they can be set out on display.
e. Decorating the Chaud – froids
The Chaud – froids can now be decorated tastefully with a variety of food items. There are
many choices available. Aspic cutters can be used to punch out a variety of shapes out of
vegetables. These may be applied in pleasing patterns such as geometric shapes, floral or
abstract.
A more natural, pleasing effect comes from using foods in their natural shapes. Capers,
caviar, chives and slices of olives are a few examples. Each component must be dipped into
warm aspic jelly and placed onto the surface of the chaud – froid. Avoid dripping excess
aspic jelly onto the surface. These droplets of aspic are difficult and almost impossible to
remove and can make the most beautiful designs look sloppy. After the decorated chaud –
froids have been chilled; they are glazed with a single coat of well-tempered aspic jelly. This
will protect the surface of the chaud – froid that could become dull and dry looking. The final
glaze of aspic will keep the chaud – froid looking sparkling and fresh.
QUALITY INDICATORS FOR CHAUD – FROID
The quality of a chaud – froid coating has a major effect on the overall quality of the finished
product. The quality of a chaud – froid is judged according to flavor, tooth, color and
appearance.
1. Flavor – The flavor should complement the dish.
2. Tooth – The chaud – froid should have a very delicate tooth. As it melts in the mouth, it
should have a silky smooth texture, similar o that of well made veloute or béchamel
sauce.
3. Color – Chaud – froid can be made in various colors. However the colors should originate
from natural ingredients. Avoid using artificial colors, instead, pastel shades are the best.
4. Appearance – The appearance should be neat and clear-cut, smooth and shiny and free of
air bubbles. The thickness of the coating should not be more than 3/16-inch and the
thickness of the glaze 1/8-inch thick.

Handling & Storage

Chaud – froid sauces can be cooled and stored. Reheat gelled chaud – froid sauce over a hot
water bath to avoid scorching.

COLLEES
Collees are chaud froid sauces using mayonnaise, sour cream, heavy cream or a combination
of these as their base. Collees are often used with fish and other light items. Combine 3 parts
of mayonnaise, sour cream or heavy cream with one part of strong aspic jelly. Use and treat
like normal chaud – froid..