Modern cookery, in all its branches

Sufficient cold calf s head, or meat, for a dish ; butter, 2 oz. ; flour, 1 small dessertspoonful ; gravy, or strong broth, \ pint ; vinegar, and mushroom catsup, of each 1 tablespoonful ; chili vinegar, 1 dessertspoonful ; small bit of sugar ; little cayenne, and salt if needed ; parsley, 1 tablespoonful (pickled mushrooms or not at pleasure). Obs. — Soles or codfish are very good, if raised neatly from the bones, or flaked, and heated in this Maitre d' Hotel sauce. calf’s head brawn. (Author's Receipt.) The half of a fine large calf s head with the skin on, will best answer for this brawn. Take out the brains, and bone it entirely, or get the butcher do this ; rub a little fine salt over, and leave it to drain for ten or twelve hours ; next wipe it dry, and rub it well in every part with three quarters of an ounce of saltpetre finely powdered (or with an ounce should the head be very large) and mixed with four ounces of common salt, and three of bay-salt, also beaten fine ; turn the head daily in this pickle for four or five days, rubbing it a little each time ; and then pour over it four ounces of treacle, and continue to turn it every day, and baste it with the brine very frequently for a month. Hang it up for a night to drain, fold it in brown paper, and send it to be smoked where wood only is burned, from three to four weeks. When wanted for table, wash and scrape it very clean, but do not soak it ; lay it, with the rind downwards, into a saucepan or stewpan, which will hold it easily ; cover it well with cold water, as it will swell considerably in the cooking ; let it heat rather slowly, skim it thoroughly when it first begins to simmer, and boil it as gently as possible from an hour and three quarters to a couple of hours or more, should it not then be perfectly tender quite through; for unless sufficiently boiled, the skin, which greatly resembles brawn, will be unpleasantly tough when cold. When the fleshy side of the head is done, which will be twenty minutes or half an hour sooner than the outside, pour the water from it, leaving so much only in the stewpan as will just cover the gelatinous part, and simmer it until this is thoroughly tender. The head thus cured is very highly flavoured, and most excellent eating. The receipt for it is entirely new, having originated with ourselves. We give the reader, in addition, the result of our first experiment with it, which was entirely successful: — “A half calf’s head, not very large, without the skin, pickled with three ounces of common salt, two of bay-salt, half an ounce of saltpetre, one ounce of brown [chap. xi. sugar, and half an ounce of pepper, left four days ; then three ounces of treacle added, and the pickling continued for a month ; smoked nearly as long, and boiled between one hour and a half, and two hours.” The pepper was omitted in our second trial, because it did not improve the appearance of the dish, although it was an advantage in point of flavour. Juniper- berries might, we think, be added with advantage, when they are liked ; and cayenne tied in a muslin might supply the place of the pepper. It is an infinite improvement to have the skin of the head left on. TO ROAST A FILLET OF VEAn.