Jellied meat is a traditional cold appetizer of Russian cuisine. The dish is prepared infrequently. It is mainly served at the festive table.
In the seventeenth century, jellied meat was a dish that was prepared in wealthy Russian families on the second day after a great feast. For this, the remains of meat products from the first day of the holiday were collected together, crushed and, filled with broth, cooled in a glacier. The appearance of such a meal did not cause much appetite, so they fed them a servant.
Jelly
At the time of the great popularity of the French lifestyle in Russia, many foreign specialists, including cooks, were invited to the country. In French cuisine, there was a similar dish called galantine. It was based on a rich rich broth of several varieties of meat and game, to which prepared meat products were ground, minced in minced meat. Finished with spices and raw eggs. The resulting mixture was covered with a press and kept in the cold.
Based on the principle of making galantine, French chefs partially changed the technology of cooking jelly, resulting in jelly. Thanks to the clarification of the broth and the introduction of lemon zest and saffron into it, the usual jelly began to look unusually beautiful and appetizing. The new dish was considered exquisite, served in rich homes. They began to make jelly not only from meat, but also from fish products: sturgeons, sterlet, pike.
In the menu of ordinary people there was a traditional jelly. They cooked it in the winter between large posts. In order for the jellied meat to solidify well, meat legs (shanks), heads, ears and lips were always put in the broth. These products contain a large amount of gelling substances, so that the jelly is very strong.
Modern Russian cuisine has diversified the ancient dishes with unusual components. Today, no one can be surprised with jellied rooster, lamb, river fish. Seafood, vegetables and fruit dishes look a little exotic. Since they do not contain hardening substances, a special additive, gelatin, has to be added to dishes.
This is a viscous protein resulting from prolonged digestion of animal collagen (connective tissue). The product is healthy and contains phosphorus, calcium, nitrogen. The presence in gelatin of glycine, a natural source of energy, improves the vital activity of the body.
Translated from Latin, gelatin (gelatus) means “frozen” or “frozen”. When dried, the product looks like a transparent granular powder of yellowish color without taste and odor. The food industry also produces gelatin plates.
The scope of gelatin is quite wide. In the food sector they are used in the manufacture of confectionery: marmalade, marshmallows, jellies. In public catering, gelatin is used to accelerate the freezing of jellied meat, jellies, and jellied dishes.
It is worth considering separately
how to cook jellied meat with gelatin. For a modern person, such a dish as jelly is still a festive meal. But not at all because of the high cost of the products, but because of the long cooking process. In today's fast-flowing life, there is simply not enough time for a long and slow digestion of the broth with its subsequent leisurely solidification. To speed up the process of preparing a delicious dish, gelatin comes to the rescue.
How to dilute gelatin for jelly?
Typically, the packaging contains instructions for the proper use of instant powder. It should be diluted with chilled boiled water in a ratio of one to five, and then left to swell for ten minutes. Then introduce into hot broth and mix thoroughly.
How to dilute gelatin for jelly correctly? It is always important to remember that the prepared gelatin solution should be introduced into the boiling broth with a thin continuous stream. The liquid must be stirred intensively to prevent the formation of lumps. Pour broth for solidification should only be after cooling to room temperature. In order for the dish to turn out to be appetizing and tasty, you need to know how to dilute gelatin for jellied meat correctly.
Good option
It is worth considering another useful way. So, how to add gelatin to jelly? Dissolve the gelatin sheet in cold water for half an hour. Then place in a water bath and heat until completely dissolved.
Pour the resulting solution into the prepared meat broth. Stir continuously, bring liquid to a boil. Care must be taken to ensure that the gelatin does not stick to the bottom of the dishes. Strained broth pour boiled meat and send to cool.
Tip
To prepare a tasty and transparent chicken jelly, you need to know how to dilute gelatin for jellied meat. Insist dry powder in a cold broth for an hour. Then, garlic, spices, salt are added to the solution, after which they are diluted with a liter of broth and heated, not bringing to a boil.
Important Notice
To understand how much gelatin you need to add to the jelly for normal solidification, you should always try the resulting solution. One spoonful of melted gelatin should be mixed with a small amount of broth and dip your fingers in it. If they stick together and disconnect with a little effort, then in the jelly everything is already quite enough. Excess gelling substance can spoil the jelly, turning it into a rubber mass.