Aspic from pig's head

15 servings

360 minutes

Aspic made from a pig's head is a traditional dish of Russian cuisine that dates back to ancient times. Once a treat for the poor, it utilized all parts of the animal in peasant homes to create a hearty and nutritious meal. Its rich flavor is revealed through long simmering, transforming simple ingredients into a flavorful cold delicacy. Tender meat infused with garlic, bay leaves, and pepper literally melts in your mouth. Carrots add a hint of sweetness while the broth provides richness. Aspic is served with mustard, horseradish, or rye bread to complement its expressive taste. It offers not only gastronomic pleasure but also nutrition rich in collagen beneficial for joints and skin.

Energy value per serving

• Calories: 1141.5
• Proteins: 348.4g
• Fats: 678.9g
• Carbohydrates: 6.1g

Ingredients

• Chicken legs: 1 kg
• Pig's head: 7 kg
• Garlic: 3 head
• Onion: 2 head
• Salt: 3 tbsp
• Carrot: 3 pc
• Black peppercorns: 15 pc
• Bay leaf: 6 pc

Cooking steps

1. Cut off the ears from the pig's head (you can also cook something from them later) and soak it in cold water for 8–12 hours, changing the water once. After soaking, cut the head in half across without damaging the skull so that it fits in a bucket. Rinse the head again, removing any small jawbone pieces at the cut site if possible. Place both parts of the head in a regular enamel bucket, fill it to the top with cold water and put it on the fire. Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat for six hours while constantly skimming off foam and fat. During cooking, you can gradually add water to keep the water level in the bucket constant.

   Required ingredients:

   • Pig's head: 7 kg

2. After two hours, place the thoroughly washed but unpeeled, cross-cut onions and three heaping tablespoons of salt into a bucket. At the end of cooking, the onions need to be removed.

   Required ingredients:

   • Onion: 2 heads
   • Salt: 3 tablespoons

3. While the head is boiling, cook the carrot, slice it into circles and place it at the bottom of the trays. Also add peeled and grated garlic (size to your liking).

   Required ingredients:

   • Carrot: 3 pieces
   • Garlic: 3 heads

4. After another two hours, add chicken thighs, pepper, and bay leaf to the bucket. Continue to boil for another two hours.

   Required ingredients:

   • Chicken legs: 1 kg
   • Black peppercorns: 15 pieces
   • Bay leaf: 6 pieces

5. Carefully place the boiled head and drumsticks on a tray, remove the bones, brain, skin, and the fattiest parts of the head — they are not needed. Cut the rest across the grain with a knife, arrange in trays, and pour over with the remaining broth from the bucket, preferably through a metal strainer.

6. Put it in the fridge overnight - the jelly is ready in the morning.