Tomato Aspic

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.

Old fashioned Tomato Aspic with fresh tomatoes, celery and parsley in gelatin. Serve your guests this most classic of recipes for a real treat. Click To Tweet

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.

Enjoy!

More Gelatin Based Recipes on Never Enough Thyme:

• Sunshine Salad
• Charlotte Russe
• Polly's Pink Stuff (Raspberry Jello Mold)
• Homemade Marshmallows

Aspic Recipes from Other Bloggers:

• Tomato Aspic from The Runaway Spoon
• Epicurious' Poached Salmon in Aspic
• Saveur's Eggs in Aspic (Oeufs en Gelee)
• Aspic from Michael Ruhlman

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Tomato Aspic

Fresh tomatoes with celery and parsley in gelatin

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin Rate

Course: Appetizers, Side Dishes

Cuisine: Southern, Vintage

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 28kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

Ingredients

• 4 or 5 very ripe medium-sized tomatoes
• 1 envelope gelatin
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh celery leaves
• 8 tsp 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

Calories: 28kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 197mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 741IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg

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.

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