Weird blast from the past ques: copper molds?

M

mariadnoca

Moderator
Remember those copper molds? You know the kind at one point, way back when, everybody had hanging on their kitchen wall? Of course some of them were 1960-70s Jell-O molds, but others were heavier real copper. Seemingly made for real food. I have a couple of those, one of them being the ever present jumping fish seen both on kitchen walls and on the back of every camper as a sticker on every road trip you’ve ever been on. The second is a very pretty square with raised artichoke. Likely because I saw it and it went “oooh shiny, I love artichokes!” and bought it only to do nothing with.

My question is, was there ever any kind of decent tasting recipe used in these molds? I realize the fish mold usually was some kind of fish moose?, the artichoke one, who knows. But since I recently found them, again from the depths of kitchen storage, I was wondering was there ever a good recipe used for these things? If so, I thought it might be fun to bring to a party, but something good to eat, not one of those scary Jell-O monstrosities I’ve seen in old recipe books. Something one would actually want to eat, so naturally I thought to ask all of you!

 
I often used the fish for salmon mousse for a party. For your other one you could bake a cake and unmold. An artichoke could be a flower. You could make a savory cheesecake (I make a smoked salmon one) to use as an appy with crackers. You would need to really grease it well to unmold or line with wrap. maybe coat wit an aspic to get it to unmold

Actually a tomato aspic is not a "horrible jello thing". That would be a nice mold for a dinner.

 
There isn't a whole lot to it and there are a jillion recipes. This one is good for having a few more veggies included in it.

My DMIL made an appeitiizer for teas using tomato aspic. She put a small shrimp in a mini muffin tin and then poured aspic over it. Unmolded and put on a cracker.

Mayonnaise or sour cream or such is almost a given for serving.

A recipe I used to make and like a lot used crushed tomatoes for the juice/tomatoes and was a bit more textured.

https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/tomato-aspic

 
Have you made this? (There were no comments) yes, there are a lot of recipes out there*, so was hoping for something tried and true.

*I have some in old cookbooks and they don’t sound/look appetizing. So wondered if these were a fad worth reviving, or they died out for a reason.

 
I was thinking salmon mousse as well. I have a very simple but tasty recipe from the 80s. I remember then, but do I remember where the recipe is????

 
So, surprise. I found the old card. I usually made this with red Sockeye salmon, but of course, just the 1 little can size. There is nothing exciting about this but it is really kind of down-home satisfying.

Salmon Mousse

1 envelope gelatin

3 T. Fresh lemon juice

½ c. boiling water

½ medium onion, quartered

½ c. mayo

1 - 1 lb. can salmon

1/4 t. paprika

1 tsp. dill weed

1 c. heavy cream

Add gelatin to lemon juice, add boiling water. Add, with onion, to blender. Blend 20 seconds at high. Then add all but cream until fairly smooth, about 1 minute. Add a few drops of red food colouring and blend 3 seconds. Pour into your beautiful copper fish mold that has done nothing since you bought it.

Chill 2 hours.

4 cup mold.

I also add a touch of horseradish. And use only fresh dill.

 
They didn't die out in the South. We still love them. This is as close to a T&T as there is. My husband doesn't like tomato aspics that have a lot of stuff in them--olives, peppers, ets. It IS just tomato juice gelatin. I've made it with a touch of horseradish so it like a Bloody Mary--you could even think of it as a jello shot Bloody Mary. there is a bit of a sweet and sour taste to them that makes them a nice accompaniment to a meal.

I have made them from many recipes hence no "T&T" from me because there really isn't one. LOL

 
Well, it wasn't worded quite that way on the card.

The power of suggestion is still alive around me. I made it for dinner last night and my friend could not stop eating it. He ate the entire pot I put out until he was embarrassed and then took a bunch home. But in fact, I thought it was not perfect. I had added, and increased, as I made it but I think it came down to the salmon. That guy was just not the best of his bunch. Sure is an easy hors d'oeuvre though and I served it on Triscuits with sea salt and dill.

 
An old Southern Shrimp Mold.

Serves 15 to 20 people as an appetizer: about 12 as a salad)

1 can tomato soup

1 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 pkg Knox unflavored gelatin

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 c cold water

dash Worcestershire sauce

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 medium onion...chopped, then add enough chopped celery to make 1 1/2 cups

1 lb. chopped cooked shrimp, salmon or tuna

Season soup with Tabasco, Worcestershire, and lemon juice. Heat and add cream cheese, in pieces. Stir until cheese melts. Add gelatin, dissolved in water. Mix and cool slightly. Add mayonnaise, shrimp and the vegetables. Taste for salt. Pour into an oiled mold and chill until set. Good on crackers as an appetizer or wonderful served as a luncheon salad. If you use salmon, serve sour cream with dill weed and sliced cucumbers to put over it.

 
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