Take your time making this aspic, and your patience will be rewarded with this fragrant, savory dish. The simple ingredients and clean flavors make this a great first aspic attempt for any home cook or aspiring chef!
3cupsfresh cherry tomatoes,sliced in half (various shapes and colors)
12largefresh basil leaves,thinly sliced
1cupplain goat cheese
Ground black pepper,to taste
Instructions
Prepare one 6-cup or six 8-ounce paper or plastic cups by spraying the interior with vegetable oil and then lightly wiping with a paper towel.
Pour a quarter cup of water into a large bowl, sprinkle with gelatin powder, stir and set aside for 5 minutes until the gelatin has fully dissolved. In a saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a boil and pour over the gelatin. Stir in to dissolve the gelatin mix. Reserve 1/4 cup of broth/gelatin mixture.
Pour a 1/16 inch (1.5 millimeter) layer of broth/gelatin mix in the bottom of the mold. Chill until firm. Using aspic cutters, cut decorative shapes into the carrot slices. Arrange decorative carrots shapes and skin side down red bell pepper diamonds into the desired pattern, and cover with another 1/16 inch (1.5 millimeters) layer of gelatin mixture. Chill until firm.
Remove mold from freezer. Add the poached shrimp to the mold. Evenly distribute sliced tomatoes in the mold, and lightly compact them. Pour in just enough broth/gelatin mix to cover and return mold to the freezer for about 10 minutes, until mixture has just jelled.
Remove mold from a freezer, evenly distribute basil in the mold and lightly compact. Pour in enough broth/gelatin mix to cover and return mold to freezer until mixture has just set.
Take the reserved 1/4 cup of broth/gelatin mix and put it in a food processor along with the goat cheese and black pepper. Process until blended.
Take the mold out of the freezer and add the goat cheese/gelatin mix in an even layer. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours. To unmould, dip the exterior of the gelatin mold in tepid water for about 30 seconds. Unmould onto a serving plate and serve with a favorite prepared dressing.