"Jellied Chicken and Ham Mousse" by Representative Fred Bradley

I’m always enthralled by the variety of dishes in which you can insert meat. Pie. Cake. There seems to be a midcentury proclivity for mixing pork, beef, chicken and strange animal products into dishes where it arguably doesn’t belong. Who knows what’s next? How about — you guessed it — jello. Representative Fred Bradley’s Jellied Chicken and Ham Mousse.

Chef Fred Bradley

Republican Representative from Michigan

As always, I followed the recipe word for word from the congressman who looks like the racist villain in a 1960s Oscar-winner, no alterations:

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

1.5 cups boiling stock

2 cups chopped chicken and ham

1/4 cup chopped celery

1 tbsp grated onion

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sweet or sweet-sour pickle

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Soak gelatin in cold water. Dissolve in the boiling stock.

I’m getting pretty used to this step in my dishes, and I think the key is actually making sure that the dissolved gelatin doesn’t sit for too long before the boiling water/stock comes in. Wow, I’m actually learning.

2) Chill.

Hell yeah.

3) When it is nearly set, combine it with the remaining ingredients. Decorate as desired. Serves 10.

Voila! If you want to actually watch me attempt to eat it, go to the CwC Instagram or TikTok. This did not set nearly as well as I expected, but it also wasn’t a molded salad like our other friends we’ve made on here. This is…potentially the least attractive dish I’ve made. Perhaps ever. There is a certain bounce to it thanks to the jello, and scent-wise, raw onion and ham overpower pretty much everything else. Oh, and mayo. Fragrant mayo.

Verdict:

It may look like fake vomit you can buy in a practical joke shop, but it’s not terrible. An overly-mayonnaised ham salad — there are worse things in this world.