Why must the calf's head soak in water for 12 hours?

The head is scalded first and then placed in water for 12 hours to draw out blood and impurities, so the meat becomes pale and the stock clear. This makes up the largest part of the total time of 15 hours.

How long should the head cook?

It is set over with 3 liters of water in which 8 bouillon cubes are dissolved, skimmed well when it boils, and cooked until the meat is tender – about 2 hours. Root vegetables (carrot, leek, sprig of parsley) and salt are added after skimming.

How is the sauce made?

80 g of butter and 80 g of flour are stirred together and thinned with about ½ liter of strained stock from the cooking plus 1 dl of tomato purée. The head meat is cut into small squares and placed in the sauce along with small fish balls, meatballs, olives, salt and paprika to taste.

Why is an incision cut in the forehead skin?

The incision in the forehead skin keeps the skin from splitting during cooking.

Calf's Head with Tomato Sauce (tête de veau à la sauce tomate)

Name: Calf's Head with Tomato Sauce (tête de veau à la sauce tomate)
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 14 h
Total time: 15 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients: 1 pcs calf's head (scalded); 3 l water; 8 pcs bouillon cubes (or 3 l veal stock); 1 pcs carrot (cleaned); 1 pcs leek (cleaned); 1 pcs sprig of parsley; 80 g butter; 80 g all-purpose flour; 1 dl tomato purée; 200 g small fish balls; 200 g small meatballs; 100 g olives (pitted); paprika powder (to taste); salt (to taste)

Calf's head soaked 12 hours, cooked tender about 2 hours in bouillon with carrot, leek and parsley; the meat is cut into squares and warmed in a butter-thickened tomato sauce with small fish balls, meatballs and olives, seasoned with salt and paprika. From Erken's Stor kokebok 1914.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 216 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

Calf's head was fully utilized in older Norwegian households, and Erken gives several ways of preparing it. This variant is clearly influenced by French cuisine, with tomato purée and paprika, and was an inexpensive but elegant dinner dish.

How to make it

1
Soaking
Scald the calf's head and place it in cold water for 12 hours. Make an incision in the skin over the forehead so that it does not split during cooking.
2
Cook the head
Place the head in a pot with 3 liters of water in which the bouillon cubes are dissolved. Skim well. When it comes to a boil, add the cleaned root vegetables, the sprig of parsley and salt. Cook until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.
3
Make the sauce
Stir the butter and flour together and thin with about ½ liter of the strained stock and the tomato purée. Cook the sauce well.
4
Combine the dish
Cut the head meat neatly into small squares and place it in the sauce along with small fish balls, meatballs and olives. Season with salt and paprika.
5
Serve
Serve very hot on a slightly deep dish.

Changes from the original

Bouillon cubes are kept as the original specifies, but can be replaced with veal stock. Measurements are given in modern units (g, dl, liter), and the amounts of fish balls, meatballs and olives are estimated. "Pandeskindet" is explained as the skin over the forehead.

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Tidsmaskin – hva endret seg?

Velg to utgaver og se hva Henriette Schønberg Erken la til, fjernet eller endret mellom dem.

Fra1914 1949 Modernisert

Til1914 1949 Modernisert

1914 (korrekturlest, s. 216) → 1949 (korrekturlest, s. 246)~53% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til

1 (Tete de veau à la sauce tomate.) i kalvehode 3 l. ~~vand 8~~ vann 4 buljongterninger 1 i gulerot 1 i purre ~~1 persillekvast~~ 80 gr. smør 80 gr. hvetemel ~~1 dl.~~ i persillekvast Y 2 l. tomatpuré fiskeboller ~~kjøtboller~~ kjøttboller oliven paprika salt. Hodet ~~skoldes, lægges i vand i 12 timer. Et indsnit gjøres i pandeskindet, forat dette ikke skal sprække under kokningen. Sættes~~ skåldes, kløves og utvannes som vanlig; settes over ~~ilden~~ varmen med de 3 liter ~~vand,~~ vann, hvori ~~buljongterningerne~~ buljongterningene er opløst, skummes ~~godt, naar~~ godt når det koker op, ~~tilsættes~~ tilsettes de rensede røtter og salt; ~~koker,~~ koker til kjøttet er mørt, ca. 2 timer. Smør og mel røres sammen, ~~spædes~~ spes med ca. ½ Y 2 liter av den ~~silede~~ silte kraft og tomatpuréen. Hodekjøttet skjæres pent op i ~~smaa~~ små firkanter og ~~haves~~ has i ~~sausen~~ sausen, tillikemed ~~smaa~~ små fiskeboller, oliven, salt og paprika efter smak. — Serveres ~~paa~~ på et litt dypt fat.

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Frequently asked questions

Why must the calf's head soak in water for 12 hours?: The head is scalded first and then placed in water for 12 hours to draw out blood and impurities, so the meat becomes pale and the stock clear. This makes up the largest part of the total time of 15 hours.
How long should the head cook?: It is set over with 3 liters of water in which 8 bouillon cubes are dissolved, skimmed well when it boils, and cooked until the meat is tender – about 2 hours. Root vegetables (carrot, leek, sprig of parsley) and salt are added after skimming.
How is the sauce made?: 80 g of butter and 80 g of flour are stirred together and thinned with about ½ liter of strained stock from the cooking plus 1 dl of tomato purée. The head meat is cut into small squares and placed in the sauce along with small fish balls, meatballs, olives, salt and paprika to taste.
Why is an incision cut in the forehead skin?: The incision in the forehead skin keeps the skin from splitting during cooking.

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