I have to admit, after the success of my tomato aspic, I got a little cocky. And so it was with a definite air of smugness that I used my last precious drops of green grape juice to concoct the perfect end-of-summer dessert. This time, though, as promised, I experimented with agar agar instead of gelatin as the thickening agent. It's derived from seaweed, and comes in brittle, translucent flakes or a powder. I've often seen it touted as being equally effective in recipes for panna cotta, custard, etc. and, though I'm a firm believer in the beneficial nutrition from animal gelatin, I was excited to give it a whirl. Perhaps this enthusiasm was what allowed me to turn a blind nostril, if you will, to the decidedly marine overtones emanating from the package. I assumed (prayed?) it would vanish in the mix.
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I finally made the tomato aspic! I found the perfect mold the other day at a local antiques shop that sells lots of great kitchen paraphernalia. (They also had some wonderful lidded earthenware crocks that will be perfect for pickles.) And with our many heirloom tomatoes crying out to be used the time was—dare I say?—ripe. The whole process could not have been easier, and I am already fantasizing about delicious desserts that will not hover forever about my waistline. Concord grape jello? Hello? I'll be playing around with honey and agave nectar as sweeteners, and seeing what happens when I substitute agar agar for the gelatin. Savory aspics are divine in their own right. A slice of cucumber aspic with tiny poached shrimp, perhaps. Beet aspic with creamy goat cheese and walnuts? Gorgeous! But let me tell you about the tomato aspic and how it plopped out perfectly, with a gentle wiggle and a color like the blush in a virgin's cheek.
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Once you make chicken stock using this recipe, I promise you'll never want to go back to that stuff in the box, no matter how organic it is or how convenient it seems. You can make an enormous vat of this and freeze small containers or even ice cube trays full of it to use for months. If space is at a premium in your freezer, you can boil the stock down to a concentrated and syrupy demi-glace which can later be reconstituted into stock by adding water. I got this recipe from Nourishing Traditions and it's really quite similar to most chicken stock recipes you'll find, with one key exception: you cook it over very low heat for at least 6 and as many as 24 hours! Turns out this make a huge difference in the flavor, color and consistency of the stock. It's rich, golden, unctuous without being greasy and highly flavored. Of course it helps if you are using a whole chicken, or lots of good bony parts, including necks and feet.
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