Why is the dish called "veal cooked like ptarmigan"?

The shoulder of veal is larded with pork, browned, and slowly braised in milk and water with a cream sauce – the same treatment as game birds such as ptarmigan. The meat thus takes on a richer, game-like character, though it is pure veal in the pan.

How long does the preparation take?

The meat braises for about 1½ hours after browning, and the sauce simmers with the cream for a further ¼ hour – around 2 hours and 15 minutes in all.

Do I have to use fattened veal?

No. Schønberg Erken writes explicitly: "Just don't go thinking that fattened veal is necessary; the young calf does the job well!"

How is the sauce made?

The braising stock is reduced, or you make an ordinary flour thickening. Then 1 deciliter of cream is added, and the sauce simmers for a quarter of an hour before serving.

Veal cooked like ptarmigan

Erken's "Veal cooked like ptarmigan" (1914): boneless shoulder of veal in one piece is larded with pork, tied, rolled in seasoned flour, browned in butter, and braised tender in milk and water for 1½ hours. The sauce is reduced or thickened and simmered with cream for 15 minutes.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 214 (falt i det fri)

Be the first to rate

About the dish

"Veal cooked like ptarmigan" is one of Erken's peasant-fare transformations: inexpensive shoulder of veal is larded and braised so that it imitates roast ptarmigan with cream sauce. The author adds a comforting note that young veal serves just as well as fattened veal.

How to make it

1
Prepare the meat
Cut the veal off the bone in one whole piece. Lard it with strips of pork and tie it together with string.
2
Brown
Coat the meat in flour mixed with a little salt and pepper and brown it nicely in the butter.
3
Braise until tender
Gradually thin with the milk and the boiling water. Let the meat braise gently, covered, for about 1½ hours.
4
Sauce
Reduce the stock into a sauce, or make an ordinary thickening. Add the cream and let it simmer for a further ¼ hour. Season with salt and pepper.
5
Serve
Carve the meat and serve with the sauce. Fattened veal is not necessary – young veal does very well here.

Changes from the original

Measurements converted (1 deciliter = 1 dl, ¾ liter water, ¼ liter milk). Larding is specified with pork strips; butter retained. Cooking times are kept from the original.

In stores now

Clean, minimally processed groceries matched to the ingredients — approximate prices.

Product data and prices via Kassalapp. Prices are updated daily and may vary.

Time machine – what changed?

Pick two editions and see what Henriette Schønberg Erken added, removed or changed between them.

From1914 1949 Modernised

To1914 1949 Modernised

Modernised → 1949 (proofread, p. 245)~85% of the text changedremovedadded

1 kg kalvebog (benfri, i ett stykke). 100 g flesk (skjæres i strimler til spekking). 50 g smør. 7,5 dl vann (kokende). 2,5 dl melk. 1 dl fløte. 2 ss hvetemel (til vending og eventuell jevning). salt. pepper. Skjær kalvekjøttet fra beinet Kjøttet skjæres i ~~ett~~ helt ~~stykke. Spekk det med strimler av flesk og surr det sammen med hyssing.. Vend kjøttet~~ stykke fra benet, spekkes, surres sammen, vendes i ~~mel~~ mel, blandet med litt salt og ~~pepper~~ pepper, og ~~brun det~~ brunes pent i ~~smøret.. Spe~~ smøret. Spedes litt om efter litt med melken og det kokende ~~vannet. La kjøttet småsurre under lokk i cirka~~ vann, småsurrer ca. 1½ ~~time.. Kok inn kraften til saus,~~ time. Sausen kokes inn, eller ~~lag en vanlig jevning. Tilsett fløten~~ der lages almindelig jevning på, og ~~la det surre videre i~~ surrer med fløten ¼ time. ~~Smak til med salt og pepper.. Skjær kjøttet opp og server med sausen. Gjøkalv er~~ Tro nu bare ikke ~~nødvendig – spedkalv~~ at gjøkalv er nødvendig; spekalven gjør ~~seg~~ det godt ~~her.~~ den!

Note on Modernised

Mål er omregnet (1 desiliter = 1 dl, ¾ liter vann, ¼ liter melk). Spekking angis med fleskestrimler; smør beholdt. Koketider er beholdt fra originalen.

Community interpretations

Be the first to share your own version.

See interpretations →

Frequently asked questions

Why is the dish called "veal cooked like ptarmigan"?: The shoulder of veal is larded with pork, browned, and slowly braised in milk and water with a cream sauce – the same treatment as game birds such as ptarmigan. The meat thus takes on a richer, game-like character, though it is pure veal in the pan.
How long does the preparation take?: The meat braises for about 1½ hours after browning, and the sauce simmers with the cream for a further ¼ hour – around 2 hours and 15 minutes in all.
Do I have to use fattened veal?: No. Schønberg Erken writes explicitly: "Just don't go thinking that fattened veal is necessary; the young calf does the job well!"
How is the sauce made?: The braising stock is reduced, or you make an ordinary flour thickening. Then 1 deciliter of cream is added, and the sauce simmers for a quarter of an hour before serving.

Related recipes

More dishes in the same category from the archive

Kommentarer

Ingen kommentarer ennå. Bli den første til å dele!