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Calf's Brain

Erken's basic recipe (1914) for breaded calf's brain: the brains are soaked, heated slowly to the boiling point, cleaned of skin and fibers, given a boil, cooked 20 minutes in a spiced court bouillon with onion, bay leaf, vinegar and root vegetables, halved, breaded in egg and rusk crumbs and fried golden brown in butter. Served with vegetables and a brown, sharp sauce. Also applies to pig brains.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 222 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

The basic recipe for breaded calf's brain in the offal chapter of "Stor kokebok" (1914). Erken stresses thorough soaking and gentle heating, and notes that pig brains are treated the same way.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Blanch the brains

    Place the well-soaked and washed calf brains in a pot with enough cold water to just cover them. Heat slowly and take the pot off at the boiling point.

  2. 2

    Clean

    Take out the brains and remove the skin and fibers. Give them a boil in boiling, salted water and cool them in cold water.

  3. 3

    Cook in spiced court bouillon

    Bring the water, salt, peppercorns, the cleaned cut-up onion, bay leaf, vinegar and the cleaned vegetables to a boil in an enameled pot. Let the brains simmer here for 20 minutes, take them out and cool.

  4. 4

    Bread

    Cut the brains in two, sprinkle with pepper and salt, turn them in beaten egg and then in rusk crumbs.

  5. 5

    Fry and serve

    Fry them light golden brown in the pan in the lightly browned butter. Serve with vegetables, fried parsley or fried tomatoes and a brown, sharp sauce. Pig brains are treated the same way.

Changes from the original

Measurements are given in modern units (liters, teaspoons, tablespoons, grams). "Ground rusk" is kept but can be replaced with breadcrumbs. The method is divided into numbered steps and the language modernized.

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Time machine – what changed?

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

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1914 (proofread, p. 222) → Modernised~77% of the text changedremovedadded
2 stk kalvehjerner (godt utvannet). 1 l. vand l vann (til kokelagen). 2 teskeer salt ts salt. 3 pepperkorn stk pepperkorn. 1 stk løk (renset og oppskåret). 1 laurbærblad stk laurbærblad. 1 teske eddik ts eddik. 1 skive sellerirot ½ gulerot sellerirot. 0,5 stk gulrot. persillerot ½ teske pepper (et stykke). 0,5 ts pepper. 1 stk egg (vispet). 2 spiseskeer spiseskjeer støtt kavring (eller griljermel). 50 gr. smør. De g smør (til steking). Legg de godt utvandede utvannede og vaskede kalvehjerner sættes over ilden kalvehjernene i en gryte med saa meget koldt vand, så mye kaldt vann at vandet netop staar over, opvarmes langsomt, tages det står så vidt over. Varm langsomt opp og ta gryten av ved kokepunktet. Hjernerne tages op kokepunktet.. Ta opp hjernene og befries for skind fjern skinn og trevler; gives trevler. Gi dem et opkok oppkok i kokende, saltet vand, avkjøles vann og avkjøl dem i koldt vand. Vand, kaldt vann.. Kok opp vann, salt, pepperkorn, den rensede, opskaarne løk, laurbærbladet, rensede oppskårne løken, laurbærblad, eddik og de rensede grønsaker sættes over ilden grønnsakene i en emaljert gryte; heri smaakoker hjernerne gryte. La hjernene småkoke her i 20 minutter, tages op, avkjøles. — Deles ta dem opp og avkjøl.. Del hjernene i 2, bestrøes med to, strø over pepper og salt, vendes vend dem i det vispede egg, derefter vispet egg og deretter i kavring, stekes lys gulbrune paa pande kavring.. Stek dem lyst gyllenbrune i pannen i det let lett brunede smør. — smøret. Serveres med grønsaker, grønnsaker, stekt persille eller stekte tomater. Brun, tomater og en brun, skarp saus. Svinehjerner behandles paa på samme maate. måte.

Note on Modernised

Mål er oppgitt i moderne enheter (liter, teskjeer, spiseskjeer, gram). «Støtt kavring» er beholdt, men kan erstattes med griljermel. Fremgangsmåten er delt i nummererte trinn og språket modernisert.

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Frequently asked questions

How long should the calf's brain cook?
After blanching and cleaning, the brains simmer 20 minutes in the spiced broth with onion, bay leaf, vinegar and vegetables. They are then cooled before being halved and breaded. The total time is about 90 minutes.
Why should the brain be soaked and blanched first?
Soaking and a first slow heating (taken off at the boiling point) draw out the blood so membranes and fibers can be removed easily. A quick boil in boiling, salted water and cooling in cold water firm up the meat so it holds its shape.
How is the brain breaded?
The cooled halves are sprinkled with salt and pepper, turned in beaten egg and ground rusk (2 tablespoons) and fried in butter, about 50 grams.
What flavors the court bouillon?
1 liter of water with salt, 3 peppercorns, onion, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon of vinegar, a slice of celeriac, ½ carrot and parsley root. Use an enameled pot, as Schønberg Erken specifies in Stor kokebok (1914), p. 222.

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