Cooked Cockscombs
Cooked Cockscombs is a traditional British recipe for a classic method of cooking the combs of cockerels or hens for use in traditional dishes or as garnishes. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Cooked Cockscombs.
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
40 minutes
Total Time:
60 minutes
Additional Time:
(+30 minutes steeping)
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Chicken RecipesFowl RecipesBritish Recipes
A cockscomb, quite literally, is the comb of the cockerel. Though not much used these days, it used to be frequently cooked, often in combination with the wattles of the bird and chicken kidneys or livers. Cockscombs were formerly used in French cuisine as garnishes. They were also used to prepare salpicons served in vol-au-vents, profiteroles, and so on; in that case, they were often combined with other luxury ingredients such as truffles, sweetbreads, or morels in a cream sauce. In Italian cuisine, cockscombs are an important ingredient in the famous sauce called 'Cibreo', which also includes chicken livers, wattles, and unlaid eggs. It is used as a sauce for tagliatelle and in the moulded potato-ricotta ring 'Ciambella con cibreo'.
Method:
Pierce the cockscombs several times with a needle, place in a bowl then pour over cold water and set aside to steep for 30 minutes, squeezing the cockscombs every now and then to remove the blood.
Place in a pan of lightly-salted water and bring to to a boil, then parboil for 2 minutes. Drain and allow to cool then skin the cockscombs (alternatively you can rub them one by one with salt to remove any hair).
Place the skinned cockscombs in a pan then pour over the court-bouillon. Bring to a simmer, cook for 30 minutes until tender.
The cockscombs can now be served or they can be used as part of any recipe calling for this ingredient.