Chicken in Aspic

I'm going to be old-fashioned again today. Until now, I only knew chicken in aspic from my family home. My mom makes this kind of jellied dish most often for the holidays, although pig's feet aspic probably shows up on our tables even more often. I had never dared to make either one. But this past holiday season I felt like making something from my family home. The pig's feet aspic will have to wait, though.

Chicken in aspic

Instructions – chicken in aspic:

Wash and dry the meat, then pour the stock over it, add the soup vegetables, onion, bay leaf and a few peppercorns. Toward the end of cooking, add a pinch of paprika to taste. Line a sieve with cheesecloth and strain the stock. Pour it back into the pot. Cut the chicken into small pieces (I shred it with a fork) and slice the vegetables. Bring the stock to a hard boil, add the lightly beaten egg whites and, stirring, bring it to a boil. Strain again through cheesecloth and measure out 1 liter.

Soak the gelatin in cold water until it swells, add it to the hot stock and dissolve it, then set aside until it starts to thicken slightly.

At the bottom of ramekins (or cups), arrange a slice of egg and the rest of the vegetables and chicken, pour the thickening stock over them and refrigerate until set. Before serving, unmold and serve with mayonnaise, horseradish or lemon juice.

Enjoy!

Source: Supplement to Gazeta Wyborcza, "Nowa kuchnia Polska" ("New Polish Cuisine")