1 tablespoon butter
2 shallots, sliced
3 thin slices white bread, crusts removed
1/2 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons light cream
5 ounces lean boneless veal
little salt and ground white pepper
3/4 cup whipped cream
1-1/2 pound fresh, whole small chanterelles
3 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup diced shallots
3/4 cup jellifying veal broth
1 teaspoon chopped caraway seeds
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
butter for greasing mold
1-quart pate mold [I used a loaf pan]
port wine aspic to finish [recipe below]
Melt 2 teaspoons of the butter, glaze the sliced shallots in it and leave to cool. Moisten the bread with the egg white and cream. Cut the veal into strips and place on a baking sheet with the moistened bread and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Grind twice through the finest blade of the grinder. Push the forcemeat through a fine strainer and beat until smooth and silky. [Instead of this I just whirr the forcemeat in the food processor until it is smooth.] Gradually add the whipped cream and beat thoroughly after each stage.
Braise the chanterelles in the oil and drain well. Soften the diced shallots in the remaining butter and add the veal broth. Add the caraway and reduce to a thick essence. Push through a strainer, add the drained chanterelles and simmer for a few moments. Leave to cool and then stir into the forcemeat with the parsley. Grease the mold with butter, add the forcemeat and bang several times on a damp cloth. Seal and cook, in a water bath, for about 35 minutes, regulating the oven so that the water temperature does not exceed 176 degrees F.
When cool cover the terrine with an aspic made with port wine and finely chopped parley.
Port Wine Aspic
1/2 cup egg white, beaten until soft peaks form
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced leeks
1/2 cup finely diced celeriac [I just used celery]
few stems of parsley
1 teaspoon salt
8 white peppercorns
1 piece bay leaf
1 quart light broth (meat, poultry or fish, depending on the type of pate) [I used chicken]
1/2 cup white wine or 3 tablespoons wine vinegar [I used 1 cup Port wine]
3 envelopes aspic powder or unflavored gelatin
Tip the finely diced vegetables and seasonings into the egg white. The egg white should have been beaten until soft peaks formed. Work the ingredients with your hand or a wooden spoon.
Tip the egg white and vegetable mixture into the broth. The broth should be cold at this stage. Place over the highest possible heat and whisk continuously with a wire whisk.
Beat firmly with the whisk, scraping around the bottom of the pan to prevent the egg white solidifying. It is easier if you use a spatula for this. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat.
The egg white separates and floats on the surface. Add the white wine or vinegar. Simmer the broth very gently for 40-50 minutes without allowing it to boil. This gives the broth time to absorb all the flavor from the vegetables and seasonings.
The broth is clarified. You can see from looking at the pan that the egg white has absorbed even the tiniest impurities, leaving the broth completely clear. Line a conical strainer with filter paper and strain the hot broth. An alternative method is shown on the next page. A sheet of cheesecloth is attached to the legs of an upturned kitchen stool. [The book shows a picture with an upside-down stool and cheesecloth attached to the legs with a bowl underneath.]
Add the gelatin to the clarified broth. [Soften the gelatin in water for 5 minutes or so before adding it to the broth.] If the broth has become too cool during filtering, reheat to allow the gelatin to be completely dissolved.
A crystal-clear aspic of exactly the right consistency, firm enough but still tender. Three envelopes aspic powder or gelatin to 1 quart broth is about the average requirement. This quantity will keep the aspic firm at normal room temperature.
Aspic temperature
Regardless of whether you are filling a pie or covering a galatine, the correct temperature of the aspic jelly is always important. It should be used just before it reaches setting point, while still slightly fluid, but allowing it to set as quickly as possible once used. There is a very simple and reliable method of checking the temperature.
Pour a little liquid aspic into a bowl and keep the remaining warm aspic to hand. Place the bowl in iced water and stir gently with a small slotted spoon or pastry brush. Vigorous stirring would cause bubbles which would not look very good when poured over a terrine. Before setting you can see clearly that the aspic becomes slightly thick. Remove from the water at once and use. This ideal temperature period is quite short. If the aspic in the bowl begins to set, add a little of the warm aspic and if necessary cool again until you have the right consistency.