Flavoring Gelées

Because they are served cold, gelées can be flavored using a wide variety of techniques and ingredients, including some that would be destroyed in a sauce served hot. Many ingredients, such as wines, herbs, truffles, and wild mushrooms can be added to the gelées either near the end of cooking or when the gelée has completely cooled.

The same principles apply to determining a gelée’s final flavor as to preparing hot sauces. In most cases, the gelée should enhance and extend the flavor of the food it accompanies. For example, a gelée made to accompany a dish of cold rabbit should capture the flavor of the rabbit and not be dominated by wine, herbs, or other ingredients. In some cases, however, the gelée’s flavor can be manipulated to contrast with the flavor of the central ingredient rather than extend it, such as an acidic gelée based on court-bouillon and verjuice served with a cold fish fillet.