Aspic Jelly

Ingredients

• one principle being to have enough animal matter to yield sufficient gelatine

Directions

1. chair put upside down on a table, with a square piece of flannel or a doubled napkin tied on the four feet thereof. Strain the jelly a second time if not quite clear the first time. The above' process properly carried out ought to produce a jelly as clear as unclouded amber.

2. [If, by the nature of things, the scraps of fowls, game, and meat are not procurable, then I should substitute for them an entire fowl and a whole partridge, with a shin of beef or a knuckle of veal, or a rabbit may be used instead of fowls ; or both fowls and game may be left out. Cow-heels, or even pigs’ feet, in larger proportions, may be substituted for calves’ feet. These are all matters of taste and expediency, the only one principle being to have enough animal matter to yield sufficient gelatine, and in such variety as to produce a pleasant flavour. If no calves’ feet or other gelatine-yielding ingredients are procurable, a solution of gelatine or isinglass in water or broth may be used, in lieu of plain water or broth.]

3. Having thus got your jelly quite clear, the next step will be to dress your dish of aspic, and this will be found the most difficult, as well as the most expensive, part of the proceedings.

4. Take a jelly mould and pour into it a small quantity of half-melted jelly, let this set (on ice if necessary), and pro- ceed to dispose upon it a layer of fillets of the breasts of fowls, game, or fillets of fish, sweetbreads, &c., all pre- viously cooked, pickles, tarragon leaves, hard boiled eggs, &c., &c., all tastefully arranged; filling up the inter- stices with pieces of jelly, and then completing the filling up with half-melted jelly. Make another layer as before, or more, according to the size of the mould, let the whole set, and at the moment of serving turn out your asjjic, which is done b»y immersing the mould in hot water for a few seconds. Great care is required in disposing the