Apropos of the Calf’s Head, a certain chronicler tells us
of a club called “ The Calf’s-licad Club,” which flourished,
to some extent, after the Restoration of Charles II. Its
membership consisted of extreme Puritans, who dined
together every year on January 30 — the anniversary of
the execution of Charles I. The club was not so named
out of any disrespect that its members might entertain
for each other, but because the death of the king was
commemorated in their fanatical imaginations by one of
the members dressed as an executioner advancing into
their midst and throwing a fresh Calf’s Head on to a
bonfire. To this day, amongst certain advanced Re-
publicans, January 30 is celebrated as “ Calf’s-head
Day,” and they are then accustomed to dine with their
friends off this delicate dish, which shows them to be
fraught with excellent culinary taste if not political
judgment.
Before being submitted to the cook, a Calf's Head
requires considerable attention on the part of the butcher.
It should be cleansed thoroughly by soaking in cold water
and then scalding so that all the hair can be readily
scraped off, the bones cut down, and the eyes removed.
In this state the cook can deal with it, which he does
by at once removing the brains and tongue. The brains
are to be blanched, as already described under that sub-
head, and the tongue left to soak in strongly salted water.
The head is next soaked in salted water until all the
blood is disgorged, and then it is usual to plunge it into
scalding water containing salt and vinegar. After a few
minutes in this, it can be taken out again and plunged
For details respecting Culinary Processes , Utensils , Sauces , &c.% referred to , see under their special heads.
270
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL COOKERY.
C alf — co nt inued.
into cold water and there left until wanted, or dried with
a cloth and set on a dish in the pantry with the feet
and other parts ready for use (see Tig. 307).
Baked Calf’s Head.— (1) Take out the brains, and put
the head in a saucepan with sufficient water to cover it ; boil
until the meat will easily leave the bones. Cut up the meat,
sprinkle it over with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg, put it
on a dish with 1 wineglassful of wine, 4oz. of butter, and the
brains which have been boiled separately. Put the dish in the
oven, and bake until done.
(2) Put a Calf’s Head✪ Baked Calf’s Head in a saucepan of water, and boil it
until it is quite tender. Cut the meat into pieces, and put it
on a dish with a sprig of thyme, a pinch of mace, pepper, salt,
and a few cloves. Mix 1 table-spoonful of softened butter with
1 table-spoonful of flour; work it into the meat, and put a
layer of breadcrumbs on the top. Pour in a wineglassful of
wine, and fill up the dish with the water the head was boiled
in. Place the dish in a good oven, and bake for forty-five
minutes. Serve with a garnish of forcemeat balls, and hard-
boiled eggs cut in slices.
Page 75 · 1 recipe record on this page
Presented as published in 1890. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Apropos of the Calf’s Head, a certain chronicler tells us of a club called “ The Calf’s-licad Club,” which flourished, to some extent, after the Restoration of Charles II. Its membership consisted of extreme Puritans, who dined together every year on January 30 — the anniversary of the execution of Charles I. The club was not so named out of any disrespect that its members might entertain for each other, but because the death of the king was commemorated in their fanatical imaginations by one of the members dressed as an executioner advancing into their midst and throwing a fresh Calf’s Head on to a bonfire. To this day, amongst certain advanced Republicans, January 30 is celebrated as “ Calf’s-head Day,” and they are then accustomed to dine with their friends off this delicate dish, which shows them to be fraught with excellent culinary taste if not political judgment.
Before being submitted to the cook, a Calf's Head requires considerable attention on the part of the butcher. It should be cleansed thoroughly by soaking in cold water and then scalding so that all the hair can be readily scraped off, the bones cut down, and the eyes removed. In this state the cook can deal with it, which he does
by at once removing the brains and tongue. The brains are to be blanched, as already described under that subhead, and the tongue left to soak in strongly salted water. The head is next soaked in salted water until all the blood is disgorged, and then it is usual to plunge it into scalding water containing salt and vinegar. After a few minutes in this, it can be taken out again and plunged
For details respecting Culinary Processes , Utensils , Sauces , &c.% referred to , see under their special heads.
C alf — co nt inued.
into cold water and there left until wanted, or dried with a cloth and set on a dish in the pantry with the feet and other parts ready for use (see Tig. 307).
Baked Calf’s Head.— (1) Take out the brains, and put the head in a saucepan with sufficient water to cover it ; boil until the meat will easily leave the bones. Cut up the meat, sprinkle it over with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg, put it on a dish with 1 wineglassful of wine, 4oz. of butter, and the brains which have been boiled separately. Put the dish in the oven, and bake until done.
(2) Put a Calf’s Head in a saucepan of water, and boil it until it is quite tender. Cut the meat into pieces, and put it on a dish with a sprig of thyme, a pinch of mace, pepper, salt, and a few cloves. Mix 1 table-spoonful of softened butter with 1 table-spoonful of flour; work it into the meat, and put a layer of breadcrumbs on the top. Pour in a wineglassful of wine, and fill up the dish with the water the head was boiled in. Place the dish in a good oven, and bake for forty-five minutes. Serve with a garnish of forcemeat balls, and hardboiled eggs cut in slices.
Records on this page
Baked Calf’s Head