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Calf Brains, Fried (cervelles de veau frites)

Fried calf brains from Erken 1914: the brain is cleaned, simmered 10 minutes with onion and vinegar, cut into slices, dipped in a frying batter of flour, oil, water and stiffly beaten egg white and deep-fried light golden. Served very hot with fried parsley.

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

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About the dish

Deep-fried calf's brain in a beer-free frying batter, a French-inspired dish in Erken's offal chapter. Serving with fried parsley was a common garnish for deep-fried dishes.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Clean the brain

    Clean the brain of membranes and veins and wash it in several changes of water.

  2. 2

    Simmer

    Place the brain in a pot with the onion slices and 1 tbsp of vinegar, cover with water and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes. Strain off, dry the brain and cut it into slices.

  3. 3

    Make the frying batter

    Combine the flour with a pinch of salt, stir in the oil and water, and finally fold in the stiffly beaten egg white.

  4. 4

    Fry

    Dip the slices one by one in the batter and fry them light golden brown in hot fat.

  5. 5

    Serve

    Serve the brain slices very hot, garnished with fried parsley.

Changes from the original

Lard for deep-frying can be replaced with neutral oil. Measurements are given in modern units (dl, tbsp, g), and "a knife-point of salt" is given as a pinch of salt.

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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
Modernised → 1949 (proofread, p. 251)~79% of the text changedremovedadded
1 å 2 stk kalvehjerner (1–2 stk). kalvehjerner, eddik, 1 stk liten løk (i skiver). 1 ss eddik. løk, 60 g hvetemel. 1 ss nøytral olje (salatolje). gr. hvetemel, 1 dl spiseskje salatolje, ½ del. lunkent vann. 1 stk eggehvite (stivpisket). salt (en klype). smult eller nøytral olje (til fritering). persille (til stekt persille som pynt). Rens hjernen vann, i eggehvite, salt, smult. Hjernen renskes fri for hinner og årer og vask den årer, vaskes i flere vann.. Legg hjernen vann, legges i en gryte med løkskivene og 1 ss spiseskjefull eddik, dekk med vann og la den småtrekke småtrekker i 10 minutter. Sil av, tørk hjernen Siles, tørres og skjær den skjæres i skiver.. Bland melet med skiver. Melet og en klype salt, rør inn knivsodd salt blandes, irøres oljen og vannet, og vend til sist inn tilsist has den stivpiskede eggehviten.. Dypp skivene stiv vispede eggehvite i. Skivene dyppes én etter efter én i røren og stek dem lyst gulbrune røren; stekes i varmt fett.. Server hjerneskivene smultgryte lyse gulbrune. Serveres meget varme, pyntet varme; pyntes med stekt persille.

Note on Modernised

Smult til fritering kan erstattes med nøytral olje. Mål er satt i moderne enheter (dl, ss, g), og «knivsod salt» er angitt som en klype salt.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I prepare the brain before frying?
Clean the brain of membranes and veins, wash it in several changes of water, and let it simmer gently for 10 minutes in a pot with onion slices and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Strain off, dry and cut into slices.
What is the frying batter made of?
60 g of flour and a pinch of salt are combined with 1 tablespoon of salad oil and 1 dl of lukewarm water, and finally a stiffly beaten egg white is folded in.
How are they fried and served?
The slices are dipped one by one in the batter and fried in a deep pot of lard until light golden brown. Served very hot, garnished with fried parsley.
Where does the recipe come from?
From Henriette Schønberg Erken's "Stor kokebok" (1914), page 221. The French name is cervelles de veau frites.

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