Isinglass Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Dissolve and clarify
Dissolve the isinglass in a clean pan with the spring water mixed with the beaten egg white.
Heat slowly by the side of a gentle fire, stirring to prevent sticking.
Skim off the scum that rises for 2-3 minutes until no more appears.
Reduce and strain
If there is excess liquid, reduce it by boiling quickly to the desired amount.
Strain through a thin muslin and set aside for use.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Isinglass
- Sets the liquid into a jelly as it cools, giving the dish its firm texture.
- Spring water
- Dissolves the isinglass and forms the body of the jelly.
- White of egg
- Binds impurities into scum that rises, so the jelly comes out clear.
The step that matters
Heat slowly and stir. Isinglass can stick and scorch on the base of the pan if heated fiercely or left unstirred. Boiling hard too early also breaks up the egg white that collects impurities, leaving the jelly cloudy.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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