Calf's Head Pie

Ingredients

• a cupful of the liquor in which the head was boiled
• a tea-spoonful of powdered mace
• an onion chopped small
• half a salt-spoonful of cayenne pepper
• two table-spoonfuls of mushroom ketchup
• a glass of port
• eight or nine sage-leaves
• half a nutmeg grated
• an egg
• four or five hard-boiled eggs

Method

1. 1

   Season the tongue with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.

2. 2

   Pour over the liquor, cover with a crust, and bake until browned.

3. 3

   Simmer the bones with liquor, mace, onion, and cayenne until reduced.

4. 4

   Strain and add ketchup and port.

5. 5

   Mix brains with sage, nutmeg, and egg, form into cakes, and fry.

6. 6

   After baking, add brain cakes and sliced eggs on top, pour gravy over, and seal with egg white.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Cassell's dictionary of cookery (1892) by Cassell & Company, page 302. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

a cupful of the liquor in which the head was boiled, cover it with a thick crust, and bake in a good oven until nicely browned. ■\Vhile it is baking put the bones of the head into a sauce- pan, with a quart of the liquor, a tea-spoonful of powdered mace, an onion chojiped small, and half a salt-spoonful of cayenne pepper. Let it simmer gently until it is reduced to half, then strain it, and add two table-spoonfuls of mush- room ketchup and a glass of port. Mix the brains with eight or nine sage-leaves, chopped small, half a nutmeg grated, and an egg. Make them up into little cakes, and fiy them in boiling butter until they are nicely browned. Put them in the oven to keep wann, with a sheet of blotting paper under them to drain off the fat. Have ready also four or five hai-d- boiled eggs. AVhen the pie is sufficiently cooked, take off the crust, and lay the brain cakes and the eggs, cut into rings, on the top ; pour the boiling gravy over all, and fasten the crust on again with the white of an egg before sending the dish to table. Time to bake, an hour and a half or more. Sufficient for eight or nine persons. Probable cost, from 6s. to lis. Calf's Head Ragout.— Boil a calf's head, and while the tiesh is still firm, take it up, cut it into niec slices, about half an inch thick, and as large as possible. Dust these on both sides with flour, salt, and gTatcd nutmeg. Have a saucepan ready, melt two ounces of butter in it, and fry the pieces of meat, and as each piece is lightly browned, put it into a stcwpan. Wlien all the pieces are fried, mi.x a table-spoonful of flour very smootlily with the butter left in tlie pan, and add gradually to this a breakfast-cupful of the liquid in which the head was first boiled, and a wine-glassful of sherry or Madeira. Season the liqour with the juice of half a lemon, and a little cayenne. When this sauce is quite smooth, pour it over the meat, and let all simmer together for about ten minutes. Arrange the meat nicely on a hot dish, and pour the sauce round it. Garnish either with brain cakes or toasted sippets. Time, to boil calf's head, one hour and a half. Sufficient for eight or nine persons. Calfs Head Ragout (another way).— Wash half a calf's head thoroughly, and boil it for about three hours. Take it up, drain it, and score the outside skin in diamonds. Brush it over with well -beaten egg, and strew over that a cupful of finely -grated bread-criunbs, a table- spoonful of chopped parsley, a tea-spoonful of powdered thyme, a tea-sjjoonful of salt, and half a salt- spoonful of cayenne. Put it in ;t hot oven, or place it before the fii-o to brown, and, before sending it to table, squeeze over it the juice of a large lemon, and cover completely with melted butter. Sufficient for four or five persons. Calf's Head, Roasted.— Wash a calf's head, remove the brains and the tongue, and simmer it gently for three-quai'ters of an houi-. Take it out of the saucepan, and fill it with good veal forcemeat. Sew it up, or fasten it securely with skewers, bind it with tape, and put it down to roast. Baste it constantly, serve good gravy with it, and, before sending it to table, squeeze the juice of a lemon over it. Boil the tongue and brains, and serve them on a separate dish, with a few rashers of bacon round them. Time to roast, two hom-s. Suffi- cient for eight or nine persons. Cairs Head Soup.— Take half a calf's head, p

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.