Equipment
Ingredients
Clam Aspic
- 400 ml clam juice, cold
- 100 ml dry white wine
- 15 g powdered gelatin
- 50 ml water, cold, for blooming gelatin
Poached Shrimp
- 300 g medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 1 lemon, halved
- 2 g black peppercorns, whole
Sauce Vierge
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 150 g tomato, peeled, seeded, and finely diced (concasse)
- 20 ml lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- 5 g fresh basil, finely chopped
- 3 g fresh tarragon, finely chopped
- 2 g coriander seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
- kosher salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 257 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrates
- 11 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 503 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 2 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 81 mg
- Potassium
- 316 mg
- Calcium
- 59 mg
- Iron
- 1.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 31 mg
- Phosphorus
- 130 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 8 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 17 mg
- Vitamin E
- 2.5 mg
- Vitamin K
- 14 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 9 mcg
- Water
- 139 g
- Alcohol
- 2 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Place cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the powdered gelatin evenly over the surface. Let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to bloom and hydrate fully.
Bring a pot of water to 70C/158F. Squeeze the lemon halves into the water and drop them in along with the black peppercorns. Gently poach the shrimp until they are just opaque and tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately transfer the shrimp to an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Drain and pat completely dry.
In a clean saucepan, combine the clam juice and white wine. Heat gently over medium heat until it reaches a simmer. Remove from heat immediately, add the bloomed gelatin, and stir gently until completely dissolved. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pouring jug and let it cool to room temperature.
Pour a thin 5mm layer of the cooled clam aspic into the bottom of 6 ramekins. Place the ramekins in the refrigerator and chill until the aspic is semi-set and tacky to the touch, about 30 minutes.
Arrange the chilled, dry shrimp neatly on top of the semi-set aspic layer in each ramekin. Carefully pour the remaining liquid aspic over the shrimp to fully encase them. Return to the refrigerator and chill until completely firm, at least 3 hours.
Prepare the Sauce Vierge. In a mixing bowl, combine the extra virgin olive oil, diced tomato concasse, lemon juice, chopped basil, chopped tarragon, and crushed coriander seeds. Season to taste with kosher salt. Allow the sauce to steep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to marry the flavors.
To serve, briefly dip the outside of each ramekin into hot water for 5 to 10 seconds to loosen the gelatin. Invert a chilled serving plate over the ramekin and flip to unmold the aspic. Spoon the room temperature Sauce Vierge elegantly around the base of the set aspic.
Chef's Notes
- Ensuring your shrimp are completely dry before placing them into the aspic is critical; any residual water will dilute the gelatin localized around the shrimp, preventing a tight seal.
- For the clearest possible aspic, pass your clam juice and wine mixture through a coffee filter or a sieve lined with damp cheesecloth before adding the gelatin.
- Sauce Vierge is best served at room temperature, or even slightly warm. Never serve it straight from the fridge, as the cold mutes the delicate volatile oils in the fresh herbs and olive oil.
- A proper tomato concasse elevates the texture of the Sauce Vierge. Scoring the tomatoes, blanching them for 15 seconds, and shocking them in ice water makes removing the skins effortless.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Keep covered to prevent the aspic from absorbing refrigerator odors.
Troubleshooting
The aspic is cloudy or has floating particles
Cause: The clam juice was boiled vigorously or not strained properly, causing proteins to coagulate visibly
Fix: Cannot be fixed once set, but it is purely a cosmetic flaw
Prevention: Heat the liquids gently without bringing them to a rolling boil, and always pass through a fine sieve or cheesecloth
Aspic melts entirely when trying to unmold
Cause: The ramekin was left in the hot water bath for too long
Fix: Place the melted dish back in the refrigerator immediately to reset, though the presentation will be compromised
Prevention: Dip ramekins in hot water for a maximum of 5 to 10 seconds, checking frequently
Shrimp are rubbery and tough
Cause: The shrimp were boiled at too high a temperature or left in the water too long
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Maintain a gentle poaching temperature of 70C/158F and shock in ice water immediately
Cultural Context
Aspic dishes, or 'en gelée', are a cornerstone of classical French haute cuisine, historically used to preserve meats and showcase a chef's technical mastery over clarifying stocks. Paired with Sauce Vierge, which gained immense popularity in the 1970s under Michel Guérard as part of the 'Nouvelle Cuisine' movement, this dish bridges the gap between old-world technique and modern, lighter flavor profiles.
