Holodets – Russian Meat Aspic (Kholodets) for New Year

👉 Holodets (kholodets, studen) is the famous Russian and Ukrainian meat aspic: tender pieces of pork, beef and chicken set in a clear, savoury jelly made only from the natural collagen of the bones. It takes time but very little work, and no New Year table in Russia is complete without it – served cold in slices with sharp horseradish and mustard. If you have never tried it, think of it as a light, cold meat terrine full of flavour.

How to Make Holodets

1. Soak and clean the meat. Rinse the pork hocks well, scrape the skin clean and soak them in cold water for 2–3 hours if you have time. Rinse the beef and chicken.
2. First boil. Put all the meat in a large pot, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, drain, rinse the meat and wash the pot – this keeps the jelly clear.
3. Simmer slowly. Return the meat to the clean pot with 4 liters of fresh cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered on the lowest heat for 5–6 hours. Do not let it boil hard, or the broth will turn cloudy.
4. Add vegetables. After 4 hours add the onions, carrots, bay leaves and peppercorns. Season with salt in the last 30 minutes.
5. Strain the broth. Take out the meat and vegetables. Strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth. Stir in the crushed garlic.
6. Chop the meat. When the meat is cool enough to handle, remove all bones, skin and cartilage and chop or tear the meat into small pieces.
7. Fill the dishes. Arrange egg slices, carrot slices and herbs in the bottom of shallow dishes, add the meat and pour over the warm broth.
8. Set. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight until firmly set. Skim the fat from the top, slice and serve cold with horseradish and mustard.

Tips for the Best Holodets

• The secret of a firm jelly is pork trotters or hocks – they are full of natural collagen.
• Simmer very gently and skim the foam for a clear, beautiful aspic.
• Test the jelly before filling the dishes: put a spoonful of broth in the fridge for 15 minutes – it should set.

FAQ

What is holodets?
Holodets is a Russian and Ukrainian meat aspic: cooked meat set in a jelly made from slowly simmered broth. It is served cold, especially at New Year.

Is holodets the same as aspic?
Yes, holodets is a type of aspic. It is made without added gelatin – the jelly sets from the collagen in pork hocks and bones.

Why didn’t my holodets set?
There was too much water or not enough collagen-rich meat. Next time add more pork trotters, or dissolve a little gelatin in warm broth and reset it.

👉 More New Year classics: Olivier salad, herring under a fur coat, pirozhki and Georgian satsivi. See the full Russian New Year menu.