How do I prepare the brain before using it?

The brain should be soaked and used raw. It is stirred directly into the melted butter-and-flour mixture.

How do I know the dough is done?

Stir the mixture over the heat until no more white specks of the brain show in the dough. It is then cooled before the eggs are stirred in.

Can the dumplings be poached instead of fried?

Yes. The recipe states that the mass can be fried as small patties in a pan, or shaped into small dumplings and poached in stock.

How are the dumplings seasoned?

Salt, pepper and a drop of onion juice – seasoning to taste. The recipe is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), p. 221, and serves 4.

Calf's Brain Dumplings I (gâteaux de cervelles de veau)

Calf's Brain Dumplings I from Erken 1914: raw soaked calf's brain is stirred into melted butter and flour to a smooth dough, cooled, seasoned with egg, onion juice, salt and pepper, and fried as small patties or poached as dumplings in stock.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 221 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Erken gives two variants of calf's brain dumplings. Variant I is a simple batter of butter, flour and raw brain, which is either fried as small patties or poached as dumplings in stock.

How to make it

1
Prepare the brain
Clean the brain of membranes and place it in cold water until it is white. Let it drain.
2
Make the batter
Melt the butter, stir in the flour and then the raw, soaked brain. Stir until no more white specks show in the dough.
3
Cool and season
Let the batter cool. Stir in 1–2 eggs, onion juice, salt and pepper to taste.
4
Fry or poach
Fry the batter as small patties in a pan, or shape small dumplings and poach them in stock.

Changes from the original

The amounts are kept but converted to modern units. "Seasoning to taste" is specified as salt, pepper and a drop of onion juice as the ingredient list indicates. Frying is given in butter or neutral oil.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I prepare the brain before using it?: The brain should be soaked and used raw. It is stirred directly into the melted butter-and-flour mixture.
How do I know the dough is done?: Stir the mixture over the heat until no more white specks of the brain show in the dough. It is then cooled before the eggs are stirred in.
Can the dumplings be poached instead of fried?: Yes. The recipe states that the mass can be fried as small patties in a pan, or shaped into small dumplings and poached in stock.
How are the dumplings seasoned?: Salt, pepper and a drop of onion juice – seasoning to taste. The recipe is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), p. 221, and serves 4.

Equipment for this dish

Stand mixer →Erken kneaded and whisked by hand for ages – a stand mixer does the work for you.Engrospris.no

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