Chauds-Froids

The fundamental difference between gelées and chauds-froids is that chauds-froids are opaque, usually because they contain cream, although some older versions contain egg yolks or even mayonnaise. Originally, chauds-froids were leftover cream-finished stews such as chicken fricassée, served cold, surrounded by their natural (and delicious) congealed cooking liquid. During the nineteenth century and up to the end of the twentieth century, overly gelatinous and inedible chaud-froids were used at food shows to demonstrate elaborate décor and complication, replacing the spontaneous and eminently satisfying cold chicken with its congealed sauce. It is little wonder that chaud-froid is rarely served in restaurants when its origin as a natural cold sauce has been forgotten. Like gelées, if it is prepared at all, it is too often done with characterless stock and too much gelatin. An authentic natural chaud-froid is one of the finest things of the kitchen.