It reminds me of those winter evenings spent at my grandmother\u2019s, with the larder full of portions laid out on plates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Strange bits of meat peek out from the congealing jelly, but those who like it can eat a fair amount of it \u2013 though, of course, only with fresh country bread; rye bread and other varieties are out of the question. This is aspic, the best pure and natural source of collagen, packed with energy. Yet not everyone is keen on it; many are put off by its wobbly texture. If you\u2019re not convinced by this, don\u2019t read any further, because from here on it\u2019s all about ears, tails, feet and other body parts \u2013 or as the joke goes: heat up the aspic and it turns into meat broth.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kocsonya is a winter dish, and not by chance. On the one hand, there\u2019s a practical reason for this: as it needs to be kept cold to set, and in the old days, without fridges, it could only be stored in the larder. On the other hand, this dish is not only a perfect source of collagen, but it is also filling and heavy \u2013 we wouldn\u2019t even fancy it in summer. That\u2019s just how it is Andr\u00e1s Wolf<\/strong>, who is also the corporate chef at Gundel Restaurant and A S\u00e9f Asztala, and for whom kocsonya was a constant feature of his childhood; although he, too, only used to eat it in winter, he\u2019d love to try a summer version, though, of course, only after having eaten watermelon in winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201eWhen I was a child, they used to make two different kinds at home: the traditional version made with pork, and my grandmother\u2019s \u201dfalsche fish\u2019, or fake aspic. \u2018It\u2019s made in the same way as gefilte fish, or stuffed fish, except that we used chicken instead of fish,\u2019 explains Andr\u00e1s Wolf.\u201d. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For the \u2018falsche fish\u2019, the chicken breast was minced, seasoned with root vegetables, carrots and turnips, and then the mixture was shaped into meatballs. The base for the aspic remained the same; the only change was that a large quantity of chicken feet were boiled into it to achieve the right consistency. Finally, the meatballs were added and boiled in the mixture, and this is how the \u2018fake\u2019 aspic set.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andr\u00e1s Wolf often surprises his friends with his grandmother\u2019s style of aspic. It even appeared on the menu at A S\u00e9f Asztala once, but only a select few \u2013 those who are familiar with it \u2013 order this version. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201eThis was my grandmother\u2019s recipe. As I didn\u2019t like the ears and other bits, my mum used to cook it with all sorts of other meats, and she\u2019d portion out the aspic so that everyone got the bit they liked best. My mum had another trick up her sleeve. Before straining the stock, she would crush 2\u20133 cloves of garlic and pour the hot stock over the fresh garlic. This gave the whole aspic a much more pleasant, piquant, yet subtle flavour. You really have to experience the sensation of the scent of fresh garlic hitting you as you lean over the dish,\u201d \u2013 explains Andr\u00e1s Wolf, who introduced this tradition to Gundel in collaboration with executive chef Viktor Moldov\u00e1n, so the aspic is prepared in the same way at the restaurant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The recipe can be refined even further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gundel\u2019s corporate chef, for example, prefers the fattier cuts of meat, so he always includes the shoulder in the stew, perhaps adding the neck as well, and of course the snout, ears, tail and everything else that goes into it mustn\u2019t be left out.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The proportion of vegetables is minimal \u2013 just one or two pieces of carrot per pot \u2013 to ensure it doesn\u2019t turn out too sweet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kocsonya is prepared in two ways: diners at S\u00e9f Asztala can sample the traditional version, which this year has been enhanced with a little smoked meat, whilst at Gundel they can order the sophisticated version \u2013 if one can describe kocsonya in such terms. The method of preparation for the latter also differs slightly from the traditional one.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201eWe cook the base stock for the aspic in the same way, with the meat in it. We make a mixture of chopped-up pieces from the shoulder, tail, snout and the fattier, meatier parts, and place this on top of the kocsonya, which is then garnished with a refreshing salad with a touch of horseradish. We then sprinkle the top with a very small amount of smoked paprika,\u201d explains Andr\u00e1s Wolf. He believes that for those who are put off by aspic, this version might be just the thing, as it can help overcome their prejudices by ensuring they do not encounter the \u201estrange\u201d ingredients in their original form; in this aspic, the broth and meat dominate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kocsonya, however heavy it may be, is a starter that is definitely best served with bread \u2013 and good-quality country bread at that. Many people eat it with lemon or vinegar, but Andr\u00e1s Wolf leaves these out; he prefers to serve it with pickled hot peppers. The main thing is to eat kocsonya whilst it\u2019s still cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Makes 30 portions of basic aspic<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ingredients:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 1000g of pork skin<\/p>\n\n\n\n 850g pork knuckle<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5 pig\u2019s trotters (1,900\u20132,000 g)<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5 pig\u2019s ears<\/p>\n\n\n\n 5 pork tails<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2,000 g pork shoulder <\/p>\n\n\n\n 150 g carrots<\/p>\n\n\n\n 500 g red onions<\/p>\n\n\n\n 500 g garlic + 50 g for straining <\/p>\n\n\n\n 15 g whole peppercorns<\/p>\n\n\n\n 40 g parsley root <\/p>\n\n\n\n 100 g salt<\/p>\n\n\n\n 12,000 g of water<\/p>\n\n\n\n Place all the piglet and pork parts in cold water to start cooking. Simmer gently, skimming off the foam, and once all the white scum has been removed from the surface, add the vegetables and spices. Cook for about three hours over a low heat, keeping the stock at a gentle simmer. Turn off the heat and leave to rest for half an hour, then strain the stock through 50 g of crushed raw garlic. This will give our aspic a fresh, aromatic flavour. Place the meat and boneless pork cuts in the bottom of the dishes, carefully pour the stock over them, then leave to set in the fridge. When serving, add fresh sourdough bread, along with grated horseradish, vinegar or lemon to taste. <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It reminds me of those winter evenings spent at my grandmother\u2019s, with the larder full of portions laid out on plates.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":13512,"template":"","publikacio":[137],"class_list":["post-13361","sajto","type-sajto","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","publikacio-dining-guide"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gundel.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sajto\/13361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gundel.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sajto"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gundel.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/sajto"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gundel.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/sajto\/13361\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gundel.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gundel.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"publikacio","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gundel.hu\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/publikacio?post=13361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Here is Andr\u00e1s Wolf\u2019s recipe for kocsonya:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n