“The wedding feast began with a thin leek soup, followed by a salad of green beans, onions, and beets, river pike poached in almond milk, mounds of mashed turnips that were cold before they reached the table, jellied calves’ brains, and a leche of stringy beef.” (Storm of Swords)
Jellied Calves’ Brains
Our Thoughts:
Yes, we said we wouldn’t be making this dish.But I couldn’t help myself when I saw the lonely package in the freezer at Savenor’s labeled “Half Veal Brain”. It had to be done. So I dived in, probably more enthusiastically than is normal.
The final product is nothing short of decadent. When working with brains, it’s important to remember that they essentially have no flavor, although their texture is delightfully creamy and rich. Which is why the flavor of the aspic and the Montpellier butter becomes important. I implore you, if you are brave enough to try this, not to skimp on your stock preparation. It provides the lion’s share of flavor in the dish and allows the other components to shine.
Eaten by the spoonful, or spread on toast, the brain aspic delightfully exceeded our expectations. The saltiness of the butter is balanced by the creamy texture of the brain, and unified by the familiar flavor, if not texture, of the stock. Certainly not for the faint of heart, more for the culinarily daring, this side dish is steeped in history and an adventure to both create and consume.