Old fashioned Tomato Aspic with fresh tomatoes, celery and parsley in gelatin. Serve your guests this most classic of recipes for a real treat.
Okay, go ahead and call me old-fashioned. I can take it. Really.
Yes, I'm going way back in time today with this recipe for Tomato Aspic. It's one of those classic recipes that you rarely see any more, but one which I wish more people would serve.
I remember many, many ladies luncheons, bridal showers, and other occasions from my young adult years where Tomato Aspic was an important part of the menu. It was served as either a side dish salad or as the first course and usually atop a few butter lettuce leaves. But always with a tiny dollop of mayonnaise. Always.
Some cooks make aspic with tomato juice, but I've always liked this recipe that uses halved tomatoes that keep their shape in the finished dish. I most often mold my aspic in a loaf pan because I usually serve it in little squares, but you can use a ring mold as well and fill the center with chicken salad or something similar.
It's also a nice touch to make a flavored mayonnaise for the garnish. Aioli is great with tomato aspic. So is a shrimp flavored mayo or just a simple lemon and herb mayonnaise. The aspic would also be very pretty with a variety of heirloom tomatoes of different colors.
Want a Truly Old Fashioned Aspic? You'll Need Time and Patience
I wish I had the time (and the inclination) to make a tomato aspic the really old-fashioned way using lovely beef bones that are roasted and then slow cooked to make a gorgeous, delicious gelee. Ripe tomatoes and finely chopped aromatic vegetables are placed in the gelee and chilled in a mold. I've only had the really old-fashioned aspic a couple of times and it is truly luscious.
Maybe when I retire I can spend two days making tomato aspic, but for now I'll use this recipe with its gelatin method. It's very good, too.
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How to Make Tomato Aspic
You'll need 4 or 5 very ripe, juicy tomatoes. Peel and core the tomatoes and cut them in half. Put the tomatoes in a measuring cup and press down firmly so that the tomatoes fill all the air spaces in the cup. You want about two cups of halved tomatoes.
Spoon out about two tablespoons of the tomato juice into a small bowl. Add the gelatin and mix it well with the juice.
Put about half of the tomatoes and the gelatin into a medium saucepan and bring it just to a boil, stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining tomatoes, salt and pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire, parsley and celery leaves. Stir to combine well.
Pour the mixture into a loaf pan or small mold. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
To serve, dip the mold into hot tap water for just 3 or 4 seconds.
Invert the aspic onto a serving dish or cutting board. Serve the aspic sliced with a scant teaspoon of mayonnaise as garnish.
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Tomato Aspic
Ingredients
- 5 very ripe medium-sized tomatoes
- 1 envelope gelatin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Juice of ½ lemon
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh celery leaves
- 8 teaspoon mayonnaise
Instructions
- Peel and core the tomatoes.
- Cut them in half and press them into a measuring cup. You should have two cups of firmly packed tomatoes with their juice.
- Spoon out about two tablespoons of the tomato juice into a small bowl. Add the gelatin and mix it well with the juice.
- Put half the tomatoes and the gelatin into a medium saucepan and bring just to a boil, stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining tomatoes, salt and pepper, lemon juice, Worcestershire, parsley and celery leaves. Stir to combine well.
- Pour into a loaf pan or small mold. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
- Serve the aspic sliced with a scant teaspoon of mayonnaise as garnish.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your health care provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
Finn Gannon says
I ate tomato aspic for the first time today at a birthday brunch prepared by a dear friend and an excellent cook. The recipe was her grandmother's, and my friend is 89 this week, so it is an old recipe. Delicious. She served it on butter lettuce with a tiny dollop of homemade mayonnaise. Looking for recipes to see if I can give it a try in my own kitchen.
Lana Stuart says
I hope this recipe comes close to being as good as your friend's, Finn. It's a really old one, too. Tomato aspic is such a great, classic recipe and people don't make it very often these days.
Shirley says
I'm having a ladies luncheon for my garden club meeting. I just recently received a copy of a dear friend's recipe for tomato aspic. She and I taught school together. She was also the first president of this garden club some 60 years ago. I am honoring her memory by serving tomato aspic. Now I need a menu to go with it. Do you have suggestions?
I though about a pasta salad, vegetable sandwiches(grated carrot, onion, pecans and cream cheese), lemon muffins, (or cheese straws) and strawberry or homemade coconut cake.
Lana Stuart says
Your menu sounds delicious, Shirley. I often serve aspic along with chicken salad, deviled eggs, and a tossed green salad.
Prudence Mathews says
I love Tomato Aspic. It was always served at our home on special occasions. This was in my grandmother's generation. I served it at a Bridal Luncheon. Of course, the young ladies didn't know what it was! It was served cut into a square on several lettuce leaves with a dollop of mayonnaise.
My children still call it "Tomato Jello" and have never given it a chance.
Our recipe calls for the contents to be strained. I pour it into a flat pyrex dish and then cut it into squares to serve.
Thanks for posting your recipe. It puts me in the mood to make some soon!
Belva says
I have these beautiful little molds, hold about 1/2 cup. My question: how is best way to grease molds? I have my mother in law's recipe. Am making 100 tomato aspic molds for my grandson's wedding rehearsal supper..
Lana Stuart says
I'd probably try spraying them with cooking spray - like Pam.
KC from Cayce says
I made this delicious recipe for Christmas and a couple of times since. Instead of mayonnaise, I mixed together cream cheese and sour cream. WOW!
Lana Stuart says
Sounds great!
Dawn J says
Showed this to my daughter (13 yrs old). She laughed and said, "It's a jellied Bloody Mary!" I had to agree with her, laughing all the while. This is a great basic Aspic recipe. Makes me want to make up some sinfully rich shrimp salad (maybe lobster, if I feel flush), and serve it with a scoop of the seafood salad on top. Thanks for the inspiration!
Lana Stuart says
You're right, Dawn, this aspic would be wonderful served with a seafood salad! It's a classic recipe that I always enjoy making in warm weather.
Lana R says
Lana! It's Lana. :)
My mother used to make tomato-juice based aspic every Thanksgiving and I loved it as a child. I've made it a few times as an adult, but I confess it's never really caught on with my 20-something-aged friends. I'm happy to see a version using whole tomatoes in a smaller size that I could enjoy myself over a few days. The mayo topper sounds like a win too! I am enjoying pouring over your recipes and website.
Cheers!
Lana in Seattle
Lavonne Gould says
Is there anywhere I can buy aspic? I used to get it from the grocery store, but can't find it anymore. It came in a can. Thank you.
Lana says
Sorry, but I don't know. I've never purchased aspic in a can - I just make it from this recipe.