Smoked Poultry Headcheese (Aspic)
Juicy pieces of chicken and duck are first cold-smoked, then processed in an aromatic aspic jelly into an elegant headcheese. The smoke flavor penetrates deep into the meat, giving the aspic an unusual depth. An impressive appetizer combining craftsmanship and patience.
Ingredients(for 1 kg)
Instructions
Pre-Brining
12 hoursMix water with salt, pepper, bay leaf, and thyme to make a brine. Submerge the poultry meat (chicken breast and duck legs, deboned) in the cold brine at 4 °C for 12 hours.
Cold Smoking
10-14 hoursRemove the meat from the brine, pat dry, and cold-smoke at 15-20 °C for 10-14 hours. Divide into two smoking phases of 5-7 hours with an overnight break. The meat should show a golden-brown color and intense smoky aroma.
Cooking
45-60 min.Poach the smoked meat in poultry stock at a maximum of 85 °C (do not boil!) until a core temperature of 75-80 °C is reached. Remove the meat, let cool, and cut into bite-sized pieces or slices.
Make Aspic & Fill
30 min.Strain 500 ml of the poaching stock, bring to a boil with white wine and diced carrots. Cool to 60 °C, then stir in soaked gelatin until dissolved. Line a terrine mold with some aspic, let set, then layer in meat pieces and fill with remaining aspic.
Chilling & Unmolding
8-12 hoursCover the filled terrine firmly with cling film and let it set completely in the refrigerator for at least 8-12 hours. To serve, briefly dip in hot water, unmold, and slice.
Pro Tip
For a clear aspic, do not boil the meat, only poach it. Cloudy aspic results from vigorous boiling – always simmer gently at a maximum of 85 °C.
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