Bonelogue

The connection between bones and dessert may not be immediately apparent. While marrow bones were a popular dish at English high teas and often served at the end of dinner, a plate of roasted bones is not my idea of dessert. However, both bones and the marrow they contain were and still are important in the dessert kitchen.

Bones yield a natural gelatin, and it is this that thickens stocks and sauces. And by following a series of steps, from a rich stock to consommé, we can make a savory aspic. The gelatin that sets this aspic is the same gelatin we use for desserts. A neutral, flavorless gelatin is derived by boiling animal feet. Luckily, we don’t have to boil up bones or calves’ and pigs’ feet to make rich coffee mousses, sparkling fruit jellies, and creamy smooth Bavarians. We can buy our gelatin in a package.