How long should the calf's head boil?

The head simmers gently for about 3 hours in boiling, well-skimmed water with roots, bouquet garni, salt and peppercorns. The long total time in the recipe is due to preparation such as soaking and cleaning the head.

Why is the head rubbed with lemon, and what is the point of the carrots in the ears?

The whole head is rubbed with a cut lemon so the meat turns white. A carrot wrapped in bacon is stuffed into the ears so they keep their shape during boiling; the carrots are removed before serving.

How is the dish served?

The head is taken out of the meat cloth, placed on an oblong platter and garnished with hard-boiled, halved eggs, mushrooms and calf's-brain quenelles. It is served with wine sauce or ravigote sauce.

Which vegetables and spices go into the stock?

4 carrots, 1 parsnip, 1 red onion, a bouquet garni, salt and 5 whole peppercorns. The recipe is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's «Stor kokebok» (1914), p. 216.

Boiled calf's head (tête de veau au naturel)

A whole calf's head is rubbed with lemon, gets a carrot wrapped in bacon in each ear, is tied in a cloth and gently simmered about 3 hours with carrot, parsnip, red onion, bouquet garni, salt and peppercorns. Arranged on a platter and garnished with hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms and calf's-brain quenelles; served with wine sauce or ravigote sauce. Erken, Stor kokebok 1914.

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

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About the dish

Boiling the calf's head whole and arranging it garnished on a platter was the most elegant way to serve the dish, known from French cuisine as «tête de veau au naturel». The calf's head was scalded, split and soaked beforehand, as Erken describes in the preceding recipes.

How to make it

1
Prepare the head
Rub the whole scalded and soaked calf's head with a cut lemon so it turns white.
2
Fill the ears
Stuff a carrot, wrapped in bacon, into each ear. Tie the head in a meat cloth (cloth or cheesecloth) and bind it well.
3
Boil
Place the head in boiling water and skim well. When it returns to a boil, add the cleaned root vegetables, the bouquet garni, salt and peppercorns. Let it simmer gently for about 3 hours.
4
Arrange
Remove the cloth and the carrots from the ears. Arrange the head on an oblong platter and garnish with hard-boiled, halved eggs, mushrooms and calf's-brain quenelles.
5
Serve
Serve with wine sauce or ravigote sauce.

Changes from the original

Amounts are estimated and given in modern units. Bacon for wrapping around the carrot is listed as an ingredient. The meat cloth is explained as a cloth or cheesecloth, and the reference to the bouquet garni is kept with an explanation.

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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)~51% av teksten endretfjernetlagt til

(Tite de veau au naturel.) 1 kalvehode 1 ~~citron~~ sitron 4 gulerøtter 1 ~~pastinakrot~~ pastinakkrot 1 rødløk 1 X suppevisk (se side ~~35)~~ 46) salt 5 hele pepperkorn champignons ~~haardkokte~~ hårdkokte egg kalvehjerneboller. Hodet skåldes, legges i vann i 12 timer. Et innsnitt gjøres i panneskinnet, forat dette ikke skal sprekke under kokingen. Hele hodet ~~gnides~~ gnis med en ~~overskaaren citron~~ overskåren sitron for at å bli ~~hvitt.~~ lysere. I ørene stoppes en ~~gulerot,~~ hvit rot, omviklet med flesk. Hodet bindes ~~ind~~ inn i et ~~kjøtklæde~~ kjøttklæde og ~~sættes~~ settes over ~~ilden~~ varmen i kokende ~~vand,~~ vann, skummes ~~godt, naar~~ godt når det koker igjen, og ~~tilsættes~~ tilsettes de rensede røtter, suppevisk, salt og pepper. ~~Smaakoker~~ Småkoker i ca. 3 timer. Klædet og ~~gulerøtterne~~ gulerøttene fra ørene ~~tages~~ tas bort. ~~Oplægges paa~~ Hodet oplegges på et avlangt fat og pyntes med ~~haardkokte, overskaarne~~ hårdkokte overskårne egg, champignons og kalvehjerneboller. Serveres med vinsaus eller ravigote saus.

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Frequently asked questions

How long should the calf's head boil?: The head simmers gently for about 3 hours in boiling, well-skimmed water with roots, bouquet garni, salt and peppercorns. The long total time in the recipe is due to preparation such as soaking and cleaning the head.
Why is the head rubbed with lemon, and what is the point of the carrots in the ears?: The whole head is rubbed with a cut lemon so the meat turns white. A carrot wrapped in bacon is stuffed into the ears so they keep their shape during boiling; the carrots are removed before serving.
How is the dish served?: The head is taken out of the meat cloth, placed on an oblong platter and garnished with hard-boiled, halved eggs, mushrooms and calf's-brain quenelles. It is served with wine sauce or ravigote sauce.
Which vegetables and spices go into the stock?: 4 carrots, 1 parsnip, 1 red onion, a bouquet garni, salt and 5 whole peppercorns. The recipe is from Henriette Schønberg Erken's «Stor kokebok» (1914), p. 216.

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