No. 459 Calf’s Head.
Procure a nice white calf’s head that has been well scalded, saw it in halves, taking out the tongue (whole) and the brains, make a white stock as follows: put two carrots, two turnips, two heads of celery, (cut up small), a quarter of a pound of butter, six cloves, four blades of mace, and a bunch of parsley, thyme, and bay-leaves, pass it over the fire twenty minutes in a long brasier large enough to lay the head in, then add a pint of water with which when boiled mix a quarter of a pound of flour, add a gallon of water, two lemons in slices, and a quarter of a pound of salt; let it boil up, then lay the head in, take care that it is well covered or the part exposed would become quite black, when boiling set it on the corner of the stove to simmer for two hours, or until it is done, which you can ascertain by pressing the cheek on the thickest part with your finger, if it gives easily it is done; let it remain in the broth until ready to serve, take it up, drain it on a clean cloth, break off the jaw-bone, lay it on your dish, surround it with six nice boiled potatoes cut in halves, and pour sauce Hollandaise (No. 66) over it, or sauce piquante (No. 27), or sauce tomate (No. 37), if preferred.
To serve calf’s head for a remove for a large dinner, when the head is done cut off the ears, take out all the bone, and set it on a large dish, place another dish upon it and press it lightly with a seven pounds weight till it gets cold, then lay it out on the table and cut it into oval pieces two inches wide and three long, make a border of mashed potatoes, warm the pieces in the stock it was boiled in, drain them on a cloth, then dish them alternately with quarters of boiled potatoes round the dish, trim the gristly part of the ears, then cut incisions in them longways without separating the edges, turn them over and they will form a frill, place a little of the brains inside of each, and the remainder with the tongue cut in halves in the centre, upon which place the ears at each end, sauce with Hollandaise as before, but if required with other sauce the quarters of potatoes must be omitted.