Step 4: Add the Aspic (and Cream)

Next, combine the base sauce and aspic. Adding aspic to a base sauce for coating work fortifies it, or makes it stronger. This ensures it will properly cling to the food. Your goal is to achieve a smooth, glossy coating just thick enough to mask the food’s surface but not so thick as to appear gloppy or to make too heavy a coating. Keep in mind that the base sauce already contains a thickener (the roux) and a certain amount of gelatin (from the stock with which it was made). Depending on the sauce you are using, you may need to use more or less aspic than your formula specifies. Always start by adding less aspic than the formula calls for, and test the chaud-froid by chilling it and pouring it onto a cold plate or over a cold piece of food. If it seems too thin, you can add more aspic. If your chaud-froid sauce is too thick, thin it with additional clarified stock.