The Book of Household Management Part 101

_Mode_.--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 sc.u.m as it rises, and boil the head until perfectly tender. Boil the brains, chop them, and mix with them melted b.u.t.ter, 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 b.u.t.ter, 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 Bechamel or white sauce.

_Time_.--From 1-1/2 to 2-1/4 hours.

_Average cost_, according to the season, from 3s. to 5s.

_Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

_Note_.--The liquor in which the head was boiled should be saved: it makes excellent soup, and will be found a nice addition to gravies, &c.

Half a calf's head is as frequently served as a whole one, it being a more convenient-sized joint for a small family. It is cooked in the same manner, and served with the same sauces, as in the preceding recipe.

HASHED CALF'S HEAD (Cold Meat Cookery).

878. INGREDIENTS.--The remains of a cold boiled calf's head, 1 quart of the liquor in which it was boiled, a f.a.ggot of savoury herbs, 1 onion, 1 carrot, a strip of lemon-peel, 2 blades of pounded mace, salt and white pepper to taste, a very little cayenne, rather more than 2 tablespoonfuls of sherry, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, 1 tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup, forcemeat b.a.l.l.s.

_Mode_.--Cut the meat into neat slices, and put the bones and tr.i.m.m.i.n.gs into a stewpan with the above proportion of liquor that the head was boiled in. Add a bunch of savoury herbs, 1 onion, 1 carrot, a strip of lemon-peel, and 2 blades of pounded mace, and let these boil for 1 hour, or until the gravy is reduced nearly half. Strain it into a clean stewpan, thicken it with a little b.u.t.ter and flour, and add a flavouring of sherry, lemon-juice, and ketchup, in the above proportion; season with pepper, salt, and a little cayenne; put in the meat, let it _gradually_ warm through, but not boil more than _two_ or _three_ minutes. Garnish the dish with forcemeat b.a.l.l.s and pieces of bacon rolled and toasted, placed alternately, and send it to table very hot.

_Time_.--Altogether 1-1/2 hour.

_Average cost_, exclusive of the remains of the head, 6d.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

VEAL COLLOPS (an Entree).

879. INGREDIENTS.--About 2 lbs. of the prime part of the leg of veal, a few slices of bacon, forcemeat No. 417, cayenne to taste, egg and bread crumbs, gravy.

_Mode_.--Cut the veal into long thin collops, flatten them, and lay on each a piece of thin bacon of the same size; have ready some forcemeat, made by recipe No. 417, which spread over the bacon, sprinkle over all a little cayenne, roll them up tightly, and do not let them be more than 2 inches long. Skewer each one firmly, egg and bread crumb them, and fry them a nice brown in a little b.u.t.ter, turning them occasionally, and shaking the pan about. When done, place them on a dish before the fire; put a small piece of b.u.t.ter in the pan, dredge in a little flour, add 1/4 pint of water, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, a seasoning of salt, pepper, and pounded mace; let the whole boil up, and pour it over the collops.

_Time_.--From 10 to 15 minutes.

_Average cost_, 10d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 5 or 6 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

CALF'S LIVER AUX FINES HERBES & SAUCE PIQUANTE.

880. INGREDIENTS.--A calf's liver, flour, a bunch of savoury herbs, including parsley; when liked, 2 minced shalots; 1 teaspoonful of flour, 1 tablespoonful of vinegar, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, pepper and salt to taste, 1/4 pint water.

_Mode_.--Procure a calf's liver as white as possible, and cut it into slices of a good and equal shape. Dip them in flour, and fry them of a good colour in a little b.u.t.ter. When they are done, put them on a dish, which keep hot before the fire. Mince the herbs very fine, put them in the frying-pan with a little more b.u.t.ter; add the remaining ingredients, simmer gently until the herbs are done, and pour over the liver.

_Time_.--According to the thickness of the slices, from 5 to 10 minutes.

_Average cost_, 10d. per lb. _Sufficient_ for 7 or 8 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

CALF'S LIVER AND BACON.

881. INGREDIENTS.--2 or 3 lbs. of liver, bacon, pepper and salt to taste, a small piece of b.u.t.ter, flour, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, 1/4 pint of water.

_Mode_.--Cut the liver in thin slices, and cut as many slices of bacon as there are of liver; fry the bacon first, and put that on a hot dish before the fire. Fry the liver in the fat which comes from the bacon, after seasoning it with pepper and salt and dredging over it a very little flour. Turn the liver occasionally to prevent its burning, and when done, lay it round the dish with a piece of bacon between each.

Pour away the bacon fat, put in a small piece of b.u.t.ter, dredge in a little flour, add the lemon-juice and water, give one boil, and pour it in the _middle_ of the dish. It may be garnished with slices of cut lemon, or forcemeat b.a.l.l.s.

_Time_.--According to the thickness of the slices, from 5 to 10 minutes.

_Average cost_, 10d. per lb. _Sufficient_ for 6 or 7 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

CALF'S LIVER LARDED AND ROASTED (an Entree).

882. INGREDIENTS.--A calf's liver, vinegar, 1 onion, 3 or 4 sprigs of parsley and thyme, salt and pepper to taste, 1 bay-leaf, lardoons, brown gravy.

_Mode_.--Take a fine white liver, and lard it the same as a fricandeau; put it into vinegar with an onion cut in slices, parsley, thyme, bay-leaf, and seasoning in the above proportion. Let it remain in this pickle for 24 hours, then roast and baste it frequently with the vinegar, &c.; glaze it, serve under it a good brown gravy, or sauce piquante, and send it to table very hot.

_Time_.--Rather more than 1 hour. _Average cost_, 10d. per lb.

_Sufficient_ for 7 or 8 persons.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

_Note_.--Calf's liver stuffed with forcemeat No. 417, to which has been added a little fat bacon, will be found a very savoury dish. It should be larded or wrapped in b.u.t.tered paper, and roasted before a clear fire.

Brown gravy and currant jelly should be served with it.

FILLET OF VEAL AU BECHAMEL (Cold Meat Cookery).

883. INGREDIENTS.--A small fillet of veal, 1 pint of Bechamel sauce No.

367, a few bread crumbs, clarified b.u.t.ter.

_Mode_.--A fillet of real that has been roasted the preceding day will answer very well for this dish. Cut the middle out rather deep, leaving a good margin round, from which to cut nice slices, and if there should be any cracks in the veal, fill them up with forcemeat. Mince finely the meat that was taken out, mixing with it a little of the forcemeat to flavour, and stir to it sufficient Bechamel to make it of a proper consistency. Warm the veal in the oven for about an hour, taking care to baste it well, that it may not be dry; put the mince in the place where the meat was taken out, sprinkle a few bread crumbs over it, and drop a little clarified b.u.t.ter on the bread crumbs; put it into the oven for 1/4 hour to brown, and pour Bechamel round the sides of the dish.

_Time_.--Altogether 1-1/2 hour.

_Seasonable_ from March to October.

TO RAGOUT A KNUCKLE OF VEAL.

884. INGREDIENTS.--Knuckle of veal, pepper and salt to taste, flour, 1 onion, 1 head of celery, or a little celery-seed, a f.a.ggot of savoury herbs, 2 blades of pounded mace, thickening of b.u.t.ter and flour, a few young carrots, 1 tablespoonful of ketchup, 1 tablespoonful of tomato sauce, 3 tablespoonfuls of sherry, the juice of 1/4 lemon.