To Make Potted Head
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the stock
Clean the bullock's head thoroughly and soak it in warm water with the ox foot for 2 to 3 hours.
Boil both together until tender and the bones can be easily removed.
Strain and cut the meat from the bones.
Return the bones and liquid to the pan and boil for 2 hours.
Strain and set aside until cold to skim off the fat easily.
Make the potted head
Put the meat and liquid into a saucepan and boil for 30 minutes; season to taste.
Pour into basins or earthenware shapes and place in a cool place.
Once cold, it will form a jelly; turn it out onto a dish for use.
If it does not come out easily, dip the shape in hot water to loosen it.
Garnish with sprigs of fresh parsley.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Bullock's head
- Provides the meat and natural gelatin that set the jelly once cooled.
- Ox foot
- Adds collagen-rich bones and connective tissue that help the liquid set into a firm jelly.
The step that matters
Skimming the fat after chilling. Fat floats on the cooled stock and sets as a layer that can spoil the jelly's texture and clarity, so the stock should be chilled until the fat is solid and then removed before reboiling.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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