Fricasseed Calf's Head is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of meat from a calf's head that's boiled with herbs and onion where the cooking liquid is thickened with an egg and lemon juice liaison. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Fricasseed Calf's Head.
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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 HEAD (an Entree).
863. INGREDIENTS.—The remains of a boiled calf's head, 1-1/2 pint of the liquor in which the head was boiled, 1 blade of pounded mace, 1 onion minced, a bunch of savoury herbs, salt and white pepper to taste, thickening of butter and flour, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, forcemeat balls.
Mode.—Remove all the bones from the head, and cut the meat into nice square pieces. Put 1-1/2 pint of the liquor it was boiled in into a saucepan, with mace, onion, herbs, and seasoning in the above proportion; let this simmer gently for 3/4 hour, then strain it and put in the meat. When quite hot through, thicken the gravy with a little butter rolled in flour, and, just before dishing the fricassee, put in the beaten yolks of eggs and lemon-juice; but be particular, after these two latter ingredients are added, that the sauce does not boil, or it will curdle. Garnish with forcemeat balls and curled slices of broiled bacon. To insure the sauce being smooth, it is a good plan to dish the meat first, and then to add the eggs to the gravy: when these are set, the sauce may be poured over the meat.
Time.—Altogether, 1-1/4 hour.
Average cost<.em>, exclusive of the meat, 6d.
Modern Redaction
I would suggest using a collared calf's head for this rather than a boiled calf's head, as this dish is more acceptable to modern sensibilities.
Ingredients:
1 calf's head
1/4 tsp ground mace
1 onion, minced
1 bunch savoury herbs
salt and freshly-ground white pepper, to taste
2 tbsp butter mixed to a paste with 2 tbsp plain flour, as a thickener
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp lemon juice
12 forcemeat balls and 6 curled slices of grilled bacon, to garnish
Method:
Bring a large pan of water to a boil, add the head and scald for about five minutes. Remove the head, and using a blunt knife scrape off the hair. Ensure that all the flesh is cleaned then divide the head and remove the brains (discard these or use in another recipe).
Clean the pan, add water and bring to a boil. Place the head pieces in the pan, return to a boil and cook for 2 hours, or until the flesh can easily be removed from the bones (reserve the boiling liquid). Take out the head at this point then extract and discard the bones and cut the meat into nice, square, pieces.
Place 1l of the reserved boiling liquid in a pan along with the mace, onion, herbs and seasonings. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, then cover the pan and cook for 45 minutes, or until the meat is heated through. Strain the liquid into a clean pan and add the pieces of meat. Bring to a simmer and allow to warm through then whisk in the butter and flour paste, a little at a time. Return to a simmer and cook until thickened.
Just before serving, remove the pieces of meat and keep aside to stay warm. Beat together the egg yolks and lemon juice in a bowl. Add a ladleful of the sauce to temper then gently beat into the sauce. Allow to warm through, stirring constantly. Then arrange the meat on a serving dish and pour over the sauce.
Garnish with forcemeat balls and the grilled bacon then serve.
