Fricasseed Calf's Feet is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of calf's feet that are boiled until tender and, have their bones removed, are dipped in batter and fried to cook. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Fricasseed Calf's Feet.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
FRICASSEED CALF'S FEET.
861. INGREDIENTS.—A set of calf's feet; for the batter allow for each egg 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 tablespoonful of bread crumbs, hot lard or clarified dripping, pepper and salt to taste.
Mode.—If the feet are purchased uncleaned, dip them into warm water repeatedly, and scrape off the hair, first one foot and then the other, until the skin looks perfectly clean, a saucepan of water being kept by the fire until they are finished. After washing and soaking in cold water, boil them in just sufficient water to cover them, until the bones come easily away. Then pick them out, and after straining the liquor into a clean vessel, put the meat into a pie-dish until the next day. Now cut it down in slices about 1/2 inch thick, lay on them a stiff batter made of egg, flour, and bread crumbs in the above proportion; season with pepper and salt, and plunge them into a pan of boiling lard. Fry the slices a nice brown, dry them before the fire for a minute or two, dish them on a napkin, and garnish with tufts of parsley. This should be eaten with melted butter, mustard, and vinegar. Be careful to have the lard boiling to set the batter, or the pieces of feet will run about the pan. The liquor they were boiled in should be saved, and will be found useful for enriching gravies, making jellies, &e. &e.
Time.—About 3 hours to stew the feet, 10 or 15 minutes to fry them.
Average cost, in full season, 9d. each.
Sufficient for 8 persons.
Seasonable from March to October.
Note.—This dish can be highly recommended to delicate persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
4 calf's feet
For the Batter:
3 eggs
3 tbsp plain flour
3 tbsp breadcrumbs
oil for frying
salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Prepare the calves' feet if they have not already been cleaned. Take a very sharp knife then dip the calves' feet into warm water and scrape off the hair. Repeat the dipping and scraping process until all the feet are white and free from hair.
When all the feet are perfectly clean, place in a pan then pour over just enough water to cover them. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for about 90 minutes, or until the bones come easily away from the flesh.
Strain the stock into a clean bowl (save for sauces, jellies, etc) then remove the feet and pick out the bones. Set the meat in a dish and allow to cool then store in the refrigerator until the next day.
When ready to cook, heat oil to a depth of about 5mm in a frying pan. Slice the meat into pieces about 12mm thick. Now beat together the eggs, flour and breadcrumbs to make a stiff batter. Dip the calf feet pieces in these and drop in the hot oil. Fry until nicely brown on all sides then drain on kitchen paper.
Serve hot accompanied by melted butter, mustard and vinegar.
