Tomato Aspic Salad

By Martha Hall Foose

Yield: 8 servings

This tomato aspic is like a wobbly take on a Virgin Mary. Created by award-winning chef Martha Hall Foose, the base is a duo of canned tomato juice and gelatin, which is flavored with essential Bloody Mary ingredients. The savory gelatin is served in individual ramekins and studded with onion, bell pepper, and celery.

Ingredients

• 24 ounces canned tomato juice
• 2 envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin (~1½ tablespoons)
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp Bloody Mary rimming spice mixture*
• ¼ tsp cumin (if not in rimming spice above)
  
• ½ tsp hot sauce
• ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• Vegetable oil, for brushing
• ¼ cup mild onion―green onion, Vidalia, Spanish onion or Shallot, finely chopped (~1/16 inch slices for green onion or 1/8 inch dice for others)
  
• 2 tbsp green bell pepper, finely chopped (~1/8 inch square)
• ¼ cup inner celery ribs or celery root, finely chopped (~1/8 inch square)
• Sliced hard-boiled eggs, steamed asparagus (cooled) and leaf lettuce

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the tomato juice with the gelatin; let stand for 5 minutes. In a saucepan, combine the remaining tomato juice with the sugar, salt, rimming spices, hot sauce, lemon zest and lemon juice and heat just until warm. Add the gelatin mixture and stir until it dissolves completely. Return the mixture to the bowl and refrigerate until cold but not set, about 1 hour.
   
2. Lightly oil eight 1/2-cup ramekins. Stir the onion, pepper and celery into the tomato aspic and spoon it into the ramekins. [You could also add a piece of celery leaf to the bottom of each ramekin.]  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until chilled and set.
3. Unmold each aspic onto a lettuce leaf on a plate, and serve with a sliced hard-boiled egg and a few asparagus stalks. As an option also serve with a couple of inner celery stalks. Lightly salt and pepper the egg slices.
   

To add an additional level to this dish, add a smear of celeriac pureé to the plate. And could also add a tuile of parsley, celery, red pepper or onion (using onion powder).

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* – Use either a pre-made commercial Bloody Mary rimming spice mixture or follow the recipe below:

• ¼ cup Kosher Salt
• 1 tbsp Celery Salt
• 1 tbsp Cumin
• 1 tbsp Garlic powder
• 1 tbsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• ¼ tsp Dry Mustard Powder
• ¼ tsp Dry Powdered Ginger

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