Posted on: Wednesday, July 14, 2004
TASTE
Gelatin makes a cool comeback
By Amy Culbertson
Knight Ridder News Service
Over the years, gelatin salads have been the subject of a lot of culinary scorn, becoming practically synonymous with '50s-era food kitsch. Those of us who are old enough can conjure up memories of neon-green concoctions concealing celery and mini-marshmallows, or outrŽ confections layered with fake whipped topping, such as the bizarre strawberry pretzel salad.
If you're too young to remember, just take a look at Minneapolis-based columnist and Web jester James Lileks' hilarious "Gallery of Regrettable Food" Web site, or his identically titled book (Crown, $22.95). At www.lileks.com/institute/gallery, vintage photographs of molded salads pulsate with glowing light from within, like flying saucers. But with '50s retro trends flooding our kitchens, living rooms, parties, bars and restaurants, can gelatin salads be far behind? The Washington Post reported on a growing trend among cutting-edge chefs: the use of gels made from a seaweed-based gelling agent called agar-agar, which sets and melts at a higher temperature than the more familiar animal-based gelatin. In Honolulu, George Mavrothalassitis of Chef Mavro restaurant uses kanten, Japanese seaweed gel, to create a very light and intriguingly textured mango dessert, paired with house-made licorice ice cream.
As for those tender generations that weren't raised on cherry Jell-O, any tendency to spurn gelatin as old folks' food has likely been erased by the popularity of Jell-O shots, or by the youth appeal of Asian bubble-tea drinks.
Lest you doubt further, take a look at the London-based magazine Wallpaper. In its June issue, you'll find a food feature titled "Three Summer Jellies" — that's Brit-speak for molded gelatin. Meanwhile, in June's Martha Stewart Living Everyday Food magazine, summer fruits star in an elegantly minimalist molded gelatin "mixed berry terrine." And July's issue of Gourmet magazine ends a dinner party menu with passion fruit and blackberry jellies with lemon verbena cream.
Of course, today's gelatin salads aren't carbon copies of our grandmoms', just as today's retro cocktails have their own distinctive contemporary signatures.
Wine, champagne and liquors add an adult element, and there's an ever-growing variety of juice drinks, flavored teas and fruit-flavored sparkling waters to spark the imaginations of creative cooks. Our favorite of all the recipes was the one made with English breakfast tea.
Today's molded salads are likely to incorporate fresh fruits in place of the canned fruit cocktail of years past, but be aware that some fresh fruits, such as pineapple, will take the gel right out of your salad.
Savory aspics are making a comeback, and the salads that contain fruit are likely to be less sweet than those '50s Jell-O-based confections that edged over the line between salad and dessert. Many contemporary recipes call for unflavored gelatin, which allows the cook to sweeten to taste.
The best cookbook sources are likely to be civic, church and other community compilations, such as "The Houston Junior League Cookbook" (Wimmer Cookbooks, $15.95, sold at www.juniorleaguehouston.org). Kraft Foods' Jell-O Web site includes a watermelon mold that we've adapted with blueberries and starfruit for a red-white-and-blue celebration.
Chef/owner Ouita Michel serves this tomato vodka aspic with pickled shrimp as an elegant first course at her Holly Hill Inn in Midway, Ky.
• • • TOMATO VODKA ASPIC
In a large bowl, combine the tomato juice, lemon juice, vodka, horseradish, celery salt, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper.
Pour 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the juice gently, scattering it evenly so it does not clump. Let the gelatin bloom in the bowl, about 5 minutes. Place the remaining tomato mixture in a nonreactive saucepan and warm it gently. Do not boil. Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot tomato juice and stir to dissolve it. Remove it from heat. Cool to room temperature.
Evenly divide the celery, onion, herb of choice and olives, if you use them, into 6 or 8 martini glasses. Pour the cooled aspic mixture over the top of the vegetables and refrigerate until the aspic is firm.
The aspic also may be chilled in a 6-cup mold or bowl: Chill the aspic mixture in the refrigerator until it has a slushy texture, then fold in the vegetables and herbs. Pour the mixture into a prepared mold and chill until firm.
Serves 6-8.
• Per serving, based on 6 servings: 90 calories, trace fat, 12 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 0 cholesterol, 1,047 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 3 percent of calories from fat. This recipe and the next are adapted from "The Joy of Jell-O Molds" (Meredith, 1998).
• • • THREE-PEPPER SALAD
Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes, until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water and lemon juice. Refrigerate about 1 1/2 hours or until slightly thickened.
Stir in peppers, green onions and lemon zest. Pour into prepared 5-cup mold, or, for individual presentations, into wine, cocktail or dessert glasses. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.
Serves 10.
• Per serving: 82 calories, trace fat, 18 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 0 cholesterol, 45 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 1 percent of calories from fat. • • • WHITE SANGRIA SPLASH
Bring wine to boil in small saucepan. Stir boiling wine into gelatin in medium bowl at least 2 minutes, until completely dissolved. Stir in cold club soda, lime juice and orange juice. Place bowl of gelatin in larger bowl of ice and water. Let stand about 10 minutes or until thickened (spoon drawn through leaves definite impression), stirring occasionally.
Stir in strawberries, blackberries and lime zest. Pour into three 2-cup molds or one 6-cup mold (or individual glasses).
Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.
Serves 12.
• Per serving: 72 calories, trace fat, 8 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams protein, 0 cholesterol, 320 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 1 percent of calories from fat. This recipe is adapted from "Joy of Cooking," 1997 revised edition, by Irma S. Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker (Scribner, $35).
• • • RASPBERRY TEA GELATIN
In a medium bowl, gently whisk together gelatin and tea until gelatin is no longer granular. Refrigerate until the gelatin is thick as raw egg white, 1 to 11/2 hours. Fold in raspberries and crystallized ginger.
Pour into a prepared 3- to 4-cup mold, or individual glasses or cups, and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.
Note: You could experiment with flavored teas instead of English breakfast tea. Individual clear-glass coffee or tea cups are a nice serving touch.
Serves 4 to 6.
• Per serving, based on 4 servings: 115 calories, trace fat, 26 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams protein, 0 cholesterol, 59 milligrams sodium, 2 grams dietary fiber, 1 percent of calories from fat. • • • The idea for a watermelon mold is from the Jell-O Web site, but it is branched out on a separate gelatin salad recipe. You can use whatever fruits you like, but we chose watermelon balls, blueberries and thinly sliced starfruit.
WATERMELON MOLD
Soak gelatin in 1/2 cup cold water for 5 minutes. Bring white grape juice to a boil and pour over gelatin and water. Add sugar and salt and whisk until mixture is no longer granular. Add lemon juice and red pop and stir to blend.
Refrigerate until the gelatin is thick enough for a spoon to leave a distinct impression when drawn through the mixture.
Meanwhile, cut a large watermelon (12 to 14 pounds) in half and slice a thin slice off the bottom of one half so it will sit evenly without rolling or tipping. Scoop out flesh with melon baller (reserve excess fruit for another use). With a large spoon, scoop out any remaining flesh to leave a smooth bowl. Invert watermelon shell on paper towels to drain before filling.
When gelatin is thick enough, fold fruits into it and pour into the watermelon shell. Refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours.
Note: You can use the small personal watermelons for a cute individual presentation; select the smallest melons you can find. You could also use honeydew and substitute strawberries for the melon balls to maintain the red-white-and-blue theme.
Serves 16.
• Per serving: 33 calories, trace fat, 8 grams carbohydrates, trace protein, 0 cholesterol, 31 milligrams sodium, trace dietary fiber, 1 percent of calories from fat.
• • • BELLINI SALAD
Soak gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes. Bring white grape juice to a boil and pour over gelatin mixture. Add sugar and salt and whisk gently until dissolved. Add lemon juice and sparkling wine and refrigerate until slightly thickened. Fold in peaches and cherries. Pour mixture into 2-cup mold or individual glasses and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours.
Serves 4 to 6.
• Per serving, based on 4 servings: 135 calories, trace fat, 32 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 0 cholesterol, 87 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber, 1 percent of calories from fat.
