Which cut of meat is used, and how is it prepared?

Half a fattened calf's head. It is well soaked, cleaned and blanched: set in cold water, lifted out when it boils and doused with cold water. Then the meat is cut off, and the bones are crushed.

How much cooking time should I expect?

Around 5 hours in all. The bones are browned in butter with onion and roots, covered with water and simmered for 3 hours. The stock is strained, the head meat is cooked tender in it, and the brown roux with stock and wine simmers for 1 hour.

What is served in the soup?

Small meatballs, small fish dumplings and egg dumplings. The soup is flavored with 1 wine glass of cognac, 2 deciliters of Madeira and mace.

Where does the recipe come from?

From Henriette Schønberg Erken's Stor kokebok (1914), page 56. It serves 10 and uses 3 liters of veal stock, 125 g butter and 100 g wheat flour for the roux.

Thickened Turtle Soup (potage à la tortue)

Thickened turtle soup from calf's head: the head is blanched, the bones are browned with onion and root vegetables and simmered for 3 hours, the head meat is cooked tender in the stock, the soup is thickened with a brown roux, seasoned with cognac, Madeira, salt and mace and served with sliced head meat plus meat, fish and egg dumplings.

Source: Henriette Schønberg Erken, Stor kokebok, 1914-utg. s. 56 (falt i det fri)

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About the dish

The thickened version of turtle soup follows right after the clear one in Erken. Here the bones and vegetables are browned first, and the soup is thickened with a brown roux and seasoned with cognac and Madeira — a rich, dark festive soup in the French style.

How to make it

1
Blanching
Set the well-soaked and cleaned calf's head in cold water. Lift it out when the water boils and rinse it with cold water.
2
Cut up
Cut the meat off the head and crush the bones.
3
Brown bones and vegetables
Brown the bones in butter together with the onion and the cut-up root vegetables. Pour on water so it stands above the bones, add the bouquet garni and let it simmer for 3 hours.
4
Cook the head meat
Strain off the stock and cook the head meat tender in this stock.
5
Brown roux
Brown butter and flour together in a pot. Thin with the veal stock and the juices from the bones into an even, smooth soup.
6
Season and cook
Add the cognac and Madeira, salt and mace, and let the soup simmer for 1 hour. Taste again.
7
Serving
Slice the head meat neatly and put it in the soup together with fish, meat and egg dumplings. Serve hot.

Changes from the original

Measurements are modernized (grams, liters, deciliters); "wine glass" reckoned as about 1 dl. "Mace" is kept but explained as mace (macis), with nutmeg as an alternative. Soup herbs are explained as a bouquet garni, and the method is split into numbered steps.

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Time machine – what changed?

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From1914 1949 Modernised

To1914 1949 Modernised

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Frequently asked questions

Which cut of meat is used, and how is it prepared?: Half a fattened calf's head. It is well soaked, cleaned and blanched: set in cold water, lifted out when it boils and doused with cold water. Then the meat is cut off, and the bones are crushed.
How much cooking time should I expect?: Around 5 hours in all. The bones are browned in butter with onion and roots, covered with water and simmered for 3 hours. The stock is strained, the head meat is cooked tender in it, and the brown roux with stock and wine simmers for 1 hour.
What is served in the soup?: Small meatballs, small fish dumplings and egg dumplings. The soup is flavored with 1 wine glass of cognac, 2 deciliters of Madeira and mace.
Where does the recipe come from?: From Henriette Schønberg Erken's Stor kokebok (1914), page 56. It serves 10 and uses 3 liters of veal stock, 125 g butter and 100 g wheat flour for the roux.

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