Integral Gelées

A gelée that is the natural outcome of a preparation that has been allowed to set is an excellent method of presentation. Cold leftover stews can be spooned out as they are, provided all fat is taken off the top. A slightly more sophisticated method is to melt the natural gelée surrounding the meat and add decorative garnitures, such as freshly chopped herbs, freshly cooked baby carrots (stewed in some of the melted gelée), turnips, fennel, or julienned vegetables. The whole thing can then be reconstructed in an attractive dish (a copper braisière, perhaps) and presented at the table. The boeuf mode en gelée that follows exemplifies this method.