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Lamb's Head, Grilled

Erken 1914: a split lamb's head is soaked, pre-boiled, cooked 2–3 hours with a bouquet garni and roots; the brain is cooked in a cloth and chopped into a roux sauce with 4 dl stock. The meat is taken off the bones, the sauce poured over and tongue slices and boiled vegetables placed around. Egg and rusk crumbs belong to the grilling.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 243 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

From the meat chapter in "Stor kokebok" (1914). The recipe reflects the era's full use of the animal: head, brain and tongue are all used. Egg and rusk crumbs in the ingredients belong to the grilling, which Erken describes further in the following recipe for grilled lamb's heads.

How to make it

  1. 1

    Preparation

    Split the head. Remove the brain, wash it and place it in cold salted water. Wash the head in several changes of water and place it in salted water for 1 hour.

  2. 2

    First boil-up

    Place the head in a pot, cover with cold water and let it come to the boiling point. Pour off the water.

  3. 3

    Cooking

    Add fresh cold water, add the bouquet garni, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and skim well. Let it simmer gently for 2–3 hours.

  4. 4

    Roots

    Add cleaned, finely cut carrots, turnip and onion 1½ hours before plating.

  5. 5

    The brain

    Clean the brain, tie it into a piece of thin cloth, place it in the pot and cook it for 10–15 minutes. Take it out and coarsely chop it.

  6. 6

    Sauce

    Stir butter and flour together over the heat for 2–3 minutes, thin with the stock and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped brain and season to taste. Keep the sauce warm.

  7. 7

    Plating

    Take the meat off the bones and place it in the middle of a warm platter. Pour the sauce over, and place tongue slices and various boiled vegetables alternately around.

Changes from the original

Measures have been modernized (dl and g). "Fat" is interpreted as butter or neutral cooking fat. The steps have been broken up and written in modern language; the brain sauce (roux with stock) is described as a thickened sauce. The recipe has been completed with the section that continues on the next printed page.

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Modernised → 1949 (proofread, p. 273)~94% of the text changedremovedadded
1 stk lammehode (kløvd, Hodet vaskes, utvannes, kokes ca. 2 å 3 timer. Gane, øine og ører utskjæres, men pass på fettet, tungen flåes og deles i to langs efter. Tungen og hodet pensles med hjerne egg og tunge). vendes i støtt kavring, salt og pepper. Stekes i brunet smør på panne. Serveres med stuede asparges, blomkål, erter eller spinat. 1 stk lammehode egg (til pensling ved griljering). salt. pepper. støtt salt pepper kavring (til panering). smør eller fett (til steking). 1 stk løk. løk 2 stk gulrøtter. gulerøtter 1 stk nepe. nepe 5 stk pepperkorn. 1 bunt pepperkorn ½ suppevisk (persille, timian, laurbær). 45 g gr. smør (til sausen). 45 g gr. hvetemel (til sausen). 4 dl kraft (av kokingen). Kløv hodet. Ta ut hjernen, vask den og legg den i kaldt saltvann. Vask hodet i flere vann og legg det i saltvann i 1 time.. Legg hodet i en gryte, dekk med kaldt vann og la det komme til kokepunktet. Hell vannet fra.. Hell på nytt kaldt vann, tilsett suppevisk, pepper og salt. Kok opp og skum godt. La det trekke svakt i 2–3 timer.. Tilsett rensede, finskårne gulrøtter, nepe og løk 1½ time før anretningen.. Rens hjernen, bind den inn i et stykke tynt klede, legg den i gryten og kok den 10–15 minutter. Ta den opp og grovhakk den.. Rør smør og mel sammen over varmen i 2–3 minutter, spe med kraften og la sausen trekke i 10 minutter. Rør inn den hakkede hjernen og krydre etter smak. Hold sausen varm.. Ta kjøttet fra benene og legg det midt på et varmt fat. Hell sausen over, og legg vekselvis tungeskiver og forskjellige kokte grønnsaker rundt. del. kraft.

Note on Modernised

Mål er modernisert (dl og g). «Fett» er tolket som smør eller nøytralt matfett. Trinnene er delt opp og skrevet i moderne språk; hjernesausen (smørbolle med kraft) er beskrevet som en jevnet saus. Oppskriften er fullført med avsnittet som fortsetter på neste trykte side.

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Frequently asked questions

How long must the lamb's head cook?
The head simmers gently for 2–3 hours. Cleaned, finely cut roots (onion, carrots, turnip) are added 1½ hours before plating. Reckon on about 4½ hours total, including soaking.
Why should the head soak in salted water and be boiled up once first?
The head is washed in several changes of water and soaks for 1 hour in salted water to draw out blood. It is then boiled up in cold water which is poured off, before fresh cold water, bouquet garni, pepper and salt are added – this gives clearer stock and a cleaner flavor.
What do you do with the brain?
The brain is removed, washed and placed in cold salted water. It is tied into a thin piece of cloth, cooked for 10–15 minutes in the stock, taken out and coarsely chopped – it is then used in the sauce/dish.
How is the sauce made?
45 g butter and 45 g wheat flour are stirred together over the heat for 2–3 minutes, and thinned with 4 dl of the stock from the head. For the gratinating, egg, rusk crumbs and butter or fat are used.

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