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

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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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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Time machine – what changed?

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

From19141949Modernised
To19141949Modernised
1914 (proofread, p. 216) → Modernised~75% of the text changedremovedadded
1 stk kalvehode (skoldet). 3 l. vand l vann. 8 stk buljongterninger (eller 3 l kalvekraft). 1 gulerot stk gulrot (renset). 1 stk purre (renset). 1 persillekvast stk persillekvast. 80 gr. smør g smør. 80 gr. hvetemel g hvetemel. 1 dl. tomatpuré fiskeboller kjøtboller dl tomatpuré. 200 g små fiskeboller. 200 g små kjøttboller. 100 g oliven paprika salt. Hodet skoldes, lægges (uten stein). paprikapulver (etter smak). salt (etter smak). Skold kalvehodet og legg det i vand kaldt vann i 12 timer. Et indsnit gjøres Gjør et innsnitt i pandeskindet, forat dette huden over pannen, slik at den ikke skal sprække sprekker under kokningen. Sættes over ilden kokingen.. Legg hodet i gryte med de 3 liter vand, hvori buljongterningerne vann der buljongterningene er opløst, skummes godt, naar oppløst. Skum godt. Når det koker op, tilsættes opp, tilsett de rensede røtter rotsakene, persillekvasten og salt; koker, salt. La koke til kjøttet er mørt, ca. 2 timer. Smør timer.. Rør smør og mel røres sammen, spædes sammen og spe med ca. ½ liter av den silede kraft silte kraften og tomatpuréen. Hodekjøttet skjæres Kok sausen godt ut.. Skjær hodekjøttet pent op opp i smaa små firkanter og haves legg det i sausen tillikemed smaa sammen med små fiskeboller, oliven, kjøttboller og oliven. Smak til med salt og paprika efter smak. — Serveres paa paprika.. Server meget varm på et litt dypt fat.

Note on Modernised

Buljongterninger er beholdt slik originalen angir, men kan erstattes med kalvekraft. Mål er oppgitt i moderne enheter (g, dl, liter), og mengder for fiskeboller, kjøttboller og oliven er anslått. «Pandeskindet» er forklart som huden over pannen.

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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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