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📝 Description
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🥘 Ingredients
Calf's head, water, a little salt, 4 tablespoonfuls of melted butter, 1 tablespoonful of minced parsley, pepper and salt to taste, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice. [Illustration: CALF'S HEAD.] [Illustration: HALF A CALF'S HEAD.]
👨🍳 Method
After the head has been thoroughly cleaned, and the brains removed, soak it in warm water to blanch it. Lay the brains also into warm water to soak, and let them remain for about an hour. Put the head into a stewpan, with sufficient cold water to cover it, and when it boils, add a little salt; take off every particle of scum as it rises, and boil the head until perfectly tender. Boil the brains, chop them, and mix with them melted butter, minced parsley, pepper, salt, and lemon-juice in the above proportion. Take up the head, skin the tongue, and put it on a small dish with the brains round it. Have ready some parsley and butter, smother the head with it, and the remainder send to table in a tureen. Bacon, ham, pickled pork, or a pig's cheek, are indispensable with calf's head. The brains are sometimes chopped with hard-boiled eggs, and mixed with a little Béchamel or white sauce.
📜 From Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management (1861). Public domain.
⭐ Reader Reviews
Honest opinions from readers who have explored this book.
I tried my hand at this old-fashioned calf's head recipe, and I must admit, it was a journey. I found the process of blanching and boiling the head to be oddly soothing, like a culinary time machine. The brains, once chopped and mixed with butter, parsley, and a squeeze of lemon, were surprisingly delicate and creamy. What truly delighted me was the texture of the tongue — it was tender and mild, nothing like I expected. I paired it with some crispy bacon and pickled pork as suggested, and the combination was oddly comforting. This recipe is a labor of love, best suited for a comfort-seeker with a curious palate and some time on their hands. The result is a hearty, rustic dish that feels like a warm hug from the past. If you're up for a unique challenge and a taste of history, give it a try. Just be prepared to spend a good chunk of your afternoon in the kitchen. The finished dish was more satisfying than I imagined — a truly old-fashioned delight.
