Flavored brawn - a dish without which no cost, no feast in the Russian style. This dish is very democratic: it is cooked and love in families with different incomes. Some recipes use the most simple and affordable products, while others are more complicated recipes, in addition to meat dishes used in the manufacture of a variety of vegetables and spices.

Jellied and Company

Jelly - a dish known in Russia since ancient times. For its preparation used initially only beef: the head, legs, and sometimes - the brain. In the future, along with beef and pork began to be used - as a rule, ears, heads, tails and legs. Meat was cooked for a long time, thus thereof broth passed gelling agents. In the future, the mass was cooled and turned into jelly.

Aspic, made exclusively of beef, often called jelly. This name is most frequently used in North and North-West Russia.

Jelly is especially popular in Russia and Ukraine, but has a variety of dishes and other nations. For example, in Moldova jelly made from rooster and national Georgian dish muzhuzhi - nothing else like jellied pork, cooked with the addition of vinegar and spices. Eat jelly is also in Germany, Poland, Romania and some Baltic countries.

To what degree is the aspic "relative" aspic. The fundamental difference between these two dishes that jelly - a dish that does not require any additives; to flood the added gelling agent - agar or gelatin. Aspic, such as, for example, French galantine, look smart, because they usually add vegetable pieces for decoration. But many believe that the taste is not inferior jelly overseas delicacies, and sometimes exceed them.

Proper materials

Technology of preparation aspic seems extremely simple, and yet, this dish is often difficult for novice cooks. Typically, inexperienced cooks complain that no jelly solidifies after cooling.

Ready jelly is a fairly dense jelly with pieces of meat: it can be cut with a knife and lay on the plates, without fear that jelly lose its shape. If the dish is semisolid after cooling, this means that the jelly was prepared correctly. And the reason is often in the wrong materials.

It is believed that it is better suited for making aspic legs, ears and heads of adult animals. The legs should be cut before cooking along to gelling agents moved quickly into the broth. It is best to choose shades of dark meat - the lighter the meat, the less fragrant and rich broth he gets, and the worse it will solidify.

Although considered a jelly dish simple and democratic, for its preparation, use only fresh raw materials. Spoiled meat will give the dish a musty taste. Note that jellied pork turns more turbid and fat than beef aspic. It is best for this dish to mix several types of meat such as pigs' feet and lean veal or pork ears with legs and slices of beef tongue. Very spicy flavor gives aspic addition of game meat. But for good jelly froze in a mixture of different types of meat should prevail those parts of carcasses that contain the maximum number of gelling agents.

Cooking aspic

Cook jelly for a long time - from six to twelve hours. Meat is filled with cold water at the rate of 1 liter of water for 1 kg of meat, brought to a boil, and languishing at the very low heat for 6-9 hours. The volume of fluid during this time should be reduced by half.

About a half hour before end of cooking in the broth laid vegetables - onions, carrots, parsley, celery Celery: vegetable with obvious advantages . Later, vegetables should be removed and discarded. Interestingly, sometimes brown onions laid - This simple technique allows to give a nice golden color aspic. Then salt is added to the broth. The liquid should appear slightly salty hot, then after cooling aspic flavor will be harmonious.

After 6-9 hours of cooking, the meat is removed from the broth slightly cooled, removed from the bones and chop finely with a knife or scroll through a meat grinder. Cook, however, it is strongly recommended to disassemble the meat fibers by hand, because the only way you can find bone fragments, which in any case should not fall into the dish. Bones put back into the broth and boil for half an hour. Also in the broth add spices: bay leaves, pepper, sometimes - clove and fennel seeds.

It is desirable to cool a spoonful of broth. If the room temperature becomes a sticky liquid - it means jelly cold harden and acquire the necessary consistency.

Chopped meat laid out on the forms and pour filtered broth. Sometimes the meat is added and crushed garlic and pepper. After that, cover with a lid and forms submitted to the cold for a few hours.

Ready jelly to be flipped on a flat dish and cut into pieces a la carte. Dish decorated with slices of boiled vegetables and slices of boiled eggs. By aspic served spicy mustard, horseradish Horseradish: vigorous root , Crushed garlic and sour cream Smetana: untold riches of Russian cuisine , greenery. The traditional drink in aspic - chilled vodka.

If the jelly is not frozen

If semi-jelly was, the situation can be corrected by adding the gelatin. Taste thus may deteriorate, but not very much. To do this, the broth is drained into the pan is heated, it is added to the pre-soaked in cold boiled water gelatin.

The mixture is heated slightly (bring to a boil it is impossible) and stirred vigorously. You can then pour the broth meat.

Maria Bykov

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