Calf’s Head Pie

New system of domestic cookery, forme... · Rundell, Maria Eliza Ketelby · 1806
Source
New system of domestic cookery, formed upon principles of economy, and adapted to the use of private families
Status
success · extracted 13 days ago
Not a recipe
No
Ingredients (25)
For the stewed veal and broth
For the pie filling
For the crust
Optional additions for hot pie
Optional additions for color
Instructions (16)
  1. Stew a knuckle of veal till fit for eating, with two onions, a few isinglass shavings, a bunch of herbs, 2 blade of mace, and a few peppercorns, in two quarts or less of water.
  2. Keep the broth for the pie.
  3. Take off a bit of the meat for the balls, and let the other be eaten.
  4. Simmer the bones in the broth till it is very good.
  5. Half boil the head, and cut it in square bits.
  6. Put a layer of ham at the bottom, then some head, first fat then lean, with balls and hard eggs cut in half, and so on till the dish be full.
  7. Be particularly careful not to place the pieces close, or the pie will be too solid, and there will be no space for the jelly.
  8. The meat must be first pretty well seasoned with pepper and salt, and a scrape or two of nutmeg.
  9. Put a little water and a little gravy into the dish.
  10. Cover it with a tolerably thick crust.
  11. Bake it in a slow oven.
  12. When done, pour into it as much gravy as it can possibly hold.
  13. Do not cut it till perfectly cold.
  14. In doing which, observe to use a very sharp knife, and first cut out a large bit, going down to the bottom of the dish.
  15. When done thus, the different colours, and the clear jelly, have a beautiful marbled appearance.
For a hot pie
  1. A small pie may be made to eat hot; which, with high seasoning, oysters, mushrooms, truffles, morels, &c. has a very good appearance.
Original Text
Calf’s Head Pie. Stew a knuckle of veal till fit for eating, with two onions, a few isinglass shavings, a bunch of herbs, 2 blade of mace, and a few peppercorns, in two quarts or less of water. Keep the broth for the pie. Take off a bit of the meat for the balls, and let the other be eaten; but simmer the bones 53in the broth till it is very good. Half boil the head, and cut it in square bits: put a layer of ham at the bottom, then some head, first fat then lean, with balls and hard eggs cut in half, and so on till the dish be full; but be particularly careful not to place the pieces close, or the pie will be too solid, and there will be no space for the jelly. The meat must be first pretty well seasoned with pepper and salt, and a scrape or two of nutmeg. Put a little water and a little gravy into the dish, and cover it with a tolerably thick crust: bake it in a slow oven; and when done, pour into it as much gravy as it can possibly hold, and do not cut it till perfectly cold: in doing which, observe to use a very sharp knife, and first cut out a large bit, going down to the bottom of the dish; and when done thus, the different colours, and the clear jelly, have a beautiful marbled appearance. A small pie may be made to eat hot; which, with high seasoning, oysters, mushrooms, truffles, morels, &c. has a very good appearance. The cold pie will keep some days. Slices make a pretty side dish. The pickled tongues of former calves’ heads may be cut in, to vary the colour, instead of, or besides ham.
Notes
—