New Year Dishes
The New Years party in Romania has its specific food, stemming from both traditional countryside and more recent traditions
Ștefan Baciu, 06.01.2019, 12:00
Most of the main dishes are made of pork, predictably, since the New Year party comes a very short time after the break of Christmas Advent. Typical entrees are devilled egg, cheeses, or fish roe with olives, among other things.
One of the things most popular with partygoers on New Years Eve is aspic, typically made from pork, but more recently from rooster or goose, and even chicken. If you opt for the latter, you will need about one kilogram of wings, thighs, or both, as well as a few heads and feet to give it better coagulation. You also need two onions, two carrots, a head of garlic and a few sprigs of green parsley. Boil the chicken parts with the carrots and the onion. Skim the liquid once it boils, and leave to cook until the meat shreds off the bone.
At the end add salt to taste. Take out all the meat and bones, and then shred the meat in medium sized strips. Strain the liquid, and then add to it the minced garlic. Take several small bowls which will make up the individual servings. Place in each bowl for decoration slices of carrot and sprigs of green parsley, and maybe slices of pickled bell pepper. Place some strips of meat in the bowl as well. Top the bowls with the chicken stock, which you have previously cooled, then place them in a very cold place to congeal. Since on New Years Eve it is very cold in Romania, most people just put them out on the balcony. Try it yourself, and enjoy!
