Knowing When To Mold

Even before Jell-O began its slow climb back from the purgatory of bad taste, it had begun to appear on up scale menu’s. I think its appeal has nothing to do with childhood nostalgia. Gelatin has numerous uses, from thickening and binding stocks, jams or mixtures of ingredients (such as vegetables) that have little or no fat, creating a coherent mass out of disparate elements.

Gelatin is one of the great hidden ingredients in our food. Our recent fling with low fat foods has paved the way for gelatin’s return. Carrageen, a gelatin derived from seaweed, is commonly used to replace fat in frozen desserts, cookies and cakes.

Perhaps there’s also a philosophical side to all of this. Gelling after all, creates a context that can unify disparate elements that seem to characterize modern cooking more and more. Not only does it provide connective tissue, gelatin also provides the illusion of mass and texture, while possessing almost no substance of its own.

Does it get any more post-modern than that?

Now for the tricky part. Cooking with gelatin requires a slight degree of precision, a skill that many modern chefs seem to dismiss. The reality is that anyone capable using a Stairmaster can make a perfect aspic. It is simply a matter of two distinct and inviolable steps and one fundamental precept.

First, the precept: the standard envelope of gelatin sold today contains one tablespoon of gelatin that will gel into two cups of liquid. More is, never, ever better. Except…….

If you are trying to bind complicated terrines destined to be sliced, you may need up to three times as much gelatin as simple liquids. Also, if the mixture is extremely sweet, like the fruit soup in the recipe, a little more gelatin will be needed, because sugar retards the gelling process.

But, if the liquid you are working with has some body, if the stock has already been thickened by the natural gelatin in bones or if the liquid is a heavy cream, you will need less gelatin than the standard envelope, up to half a teaspoon less. The amount of gelatin also depends on the state of stiffness required. A pert, firm, sliceable creation needs more, while a soup needs less.

As for the steps, learn these by heart. First, soak the gelatin in cold water to soften it, then melt is completely in hot liquid. If the gelatin is properly  softened and the liquid is boiling hot, it will dissolve completely after half a minute of stirring. If not, you are doomed to a grainy, rubbery or loose concoction. Which, in either case, is irredeemable. By the time it is diagnosed, it is always too late to safe. Vagueness, however human , has a mortal effect on a clear and transparent gel.

Jellied- Fruit Soup

Serves 4

2 ½ cups fresh raspberries

½ cup sugar

2 cloves

3 whole all spice berries

1 – 1 inch piece cinnamon stick

1 cup blueberries

6 fresh ripe figs

¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 tablespoons port

2 tablespoons unflavoured gelatin

1)     In a saucepan over a medium heat, combine 2 cups of raspberries, sugar, cloves, allspice berries and cinnamon stick with four cups water and simmer over a very low heat for one hour, until the mixture is reduced by half.

2)     Meanwhile, combine the blueberries, figs, ground cinnamon, orange zest and port and allow to macerate at room temperature.

3)     Pour the raspberry mixture through a fine strainer. Measure the liquid and add water if necessary to equal two cups. Return to a medium high heat.

4)     In a bowl, soften the gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water. When the raspberry juice comes to a boil, immediately pour the mixture into the gelatin and stir to dissolve. Refrigerate in a bowl for about one hour.

5)     Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and gently stir in the macerated fruit. Refrigerate until thickened, several hours or overnight.

6)     To serve, spoon into four chilled dessert bowls (to soup will only be softly gelled) and garnish with crème fraiche or whipped cream, if desired.

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