Aspic

Aspic is another name for jelly, which is prepared from meat or fish. However, the term also referred to cold, salty dishes from different, mostly previously separately prepared foods that are coated with jelly. The German collective name for some of these dishes is brawn. Classic recipes are eg eel in jelly, lobster, crab or chicken in wine jelly, foie gras in Madeira jelly and rabbit in port wine jelly.

Etymology

The word " aspic " was " jelly, meat sauce, Fond" borrowed in the 19th century from the French aspic, whose origin is uncertain. According to Littre, it goes to " asp " back; the transfer of meaning derive from the phrase froid comme un aspic to German " cold as a Viper ," ago. In contrast, the Kluge called the oil of the lavender plant ( Lavandula latifolia, Big Speik ) as word origin; the transfer he explained by the similarity to be an important essence.

Production

For the preparation of aspic dishes small portion forms of metal or glass are strongly cooled, filled with spiced, just liquid jelly, cooled again until the vessel wall, a thin coat has hardened, drained the rest of the jelly, small slices of truffles, carrots, cucumbers or similar inserted decorative, set into the ice-cold filling of meat, fish, seafood, hard-boiled eggs or vegetables and everything filled with liquid jelly. After the jelly has completely solidified in the refrigerator, the molds are dipped briefly in hot water and plunged the Aspike on plate.

They are served mostly as a starter, along with a taste matching cold sauce such as mayonnaise, tartar sauce, Gloucestersauce, Chantilly sauce, tartar sauce or Ravigote.

Further use

Aspic is also used to mask food.