The encyclopædia of practical cookery

Calf’s-Head Ragout. — Cut the meat from a parboiled Calf’s Head into thin slices, put all the bones into the pan in which the head was cooked, add lib. of gravy beef cut into slices, a little ham or bacon, and a bunch of sweet herbs. Boil for an hour, strain it into another saucepan, put in the meat, and cook for about forty-five minutes. Now add a boned anchovy, a bruised blade of mace, 2 table-spoonfuls of lemon-pickle, 1 wineglassful of wine, ^oz. of truffles, a few slices of lemon, and cayenne and salt to taste. Add a thickening of flour and butter, turn the whole out on to a dish, and serve with a garnish of forcemeat balls and brain cakes. The time allowed for cooking from the commencement is two hours and a half. Calf’s-Head Salad. — Clean and boil a Calf’s Head till tender in salted and slightly acidulated water ; when cooked, drain it and leave till cold. Cut the tongue and cheek into moderate-sized pieces, and put them in a marinade for half- For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Sauces, <Lc., referred to, see under their special heads. Calf — continued. an-hour. Cut two boiled potatoes, a boiled beetroot, and a boiled carrot into small pieces, and chop a bunch of cress. Drain the meat, then mix all the vegetables in the marinade. Arrange the meat in the centre of a salad-bowl, and put the vegetables in a circle round it to form a border. Mix 2 tablespoonfuls of thick mayonnaise dressing with a little tarragon vinegar, pour it over the salad, and serve. Calf's-Head Soup. — The head, liver, tongue, and brains of a Calf should be boiled together the day before it is required for use. Take them, when perfectly tender, out of the liquor, and set them away to cool ; skimming the liquor while boiling. Take all the bones from the meat, cut it in small pieces, put it back into the liquor in a saucepan with salt, pepper, sweet marjoram, cloves, and a little cayenne ; boil two hours, and add 1 pint of red wine. Boil ten eggs hard, pound five of them with a little flour and butter to thicken the soup, and cut the remaining five into slices to garnish the soup. While the head is cooking keep up the quantity of water by adding more as it boils away. Calf’s Head en Tortue. — (1) Cut the meat of half a cold boiled Calf’s Head into small pieces. Mix 1 wineglassful of sherry with ^ pint of stiffly-reduced stock, add the whole yolks of six hard-boiled eggs and the whites cut into small pieces, three chopped gherkins, six quenelles of veal forcemeat, the pieces of head, and a little cayenne pepper. Stand the saucepan over the fire till the contents are hot. Pile the pieces of head in the middle of a hot dish, pour the sauce and eggs round it, garnish with croutons of fried bread, and serve. (2) Prepare and cut into six equal pieces (as for Boiled Calf’s Head No. 1) half a Calf’s Head; place them on a hot dish, pour over £ pint of hot tortue garnishing, decorate with three pieces of heart-shaped, fried croutons, a little fried parsley, and send to the table very hot.