Beef Tongue Aspic with Gelatin

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make beef tongue aspic? Gather the ingredients from the list. Choose a smooth, undamaged tongue. Soak it in cold water for a couple of hours—this draws out the blood and means less foam during cooking. Wash the vegetables and pat them dry with paper towels.

2. Step 2:

   

   Put the tongue in a large pot (I used a 5-quart one) and cover it completely with water. Peel the vegetables, cut them coarsely, and add them to the pot with the tongue. Add a little salt, set it over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat and cook the tongue for 1.5 to 2 hours. Don't cover the pot, and don't let the broth boil hard—that would make it cloudy.

3. Step 3:

   

   Then take the tongue out, run it under cold water, and peel off the outer skin. The tongue should be soft, almost slightly overcooked. If it isn't, return it to the broth and cook another 30 minutes. Lift it out with tongs, put it in a plastic bag, tie it shut, and leave it until completely cool—this keeps it from drying out and keeps it tender. The tongue slices more cleanly if you chill it in the refrigerator for at least a few hours.

4. Step 4:

   

   Strain the broth through several layers of cheesecloth set in a colander, let it cool, and refrigerate it.

5. Step 5:

   

   Pour 200 milliliters of broth over the gelatin and let it stand for one hour. Then dissolve it over a water bath—or prepare it according to the package directions.

6. Step 6:

   

   To make the broth clear and fat-free, draw paper towels across its surface until no fat remains—the fat clings to the towel and the broth comes out clear. Stir in the dissolved gelatin and season with salt to taste.

7. Step 7:

   

   Take your aspic mold and pour a one-centimeter layer of the gelatin broth into the bottom. Refrigerate the mold until set. Keep the remaining broth at room temperature so it doesn't start to set.

8. Step 8:

   

   Arrange dill sprigs and berries into a little "bouquet." I made three servings, so I had three bouquets—but decorate however you like.

9. Step 9:

   

   Cut the cold tongue into evenly sized pieces and lay them on top of the dill and berries. Pour in just enough broth so it doesn't reach the top of the tongue, and refrigerate until set. If you pour in too much liquid at once, all your decorations will float up and shift around—instead of a pretty arrangement, you'll get chaos. Once it's set, though, go ahead and pour in all the remaining broth, then return it to the refrigerator for a few hours so the aspic firms up well.

10. Step 10:

    

    Loosen the set aspic with a knife, turn it out, and serve. Enjoy!