CALF'S HEAD

_How to prepare._--When the hair is off and the whole head well cleaned (this is generally done by butchers; but if not, throw the head in boiling water for five minutes and scrape the hair off with a knife immediately after taking it from the water), put it then in cold water for twenty-four hours in winter and ten in summer, changing the water two or three times.

_To boil._--It may be boiled whole or after it is boned. If boiled whole, cut a hole on the top of the head and take off the brain without breaking it; put it in cold water immediately and as directed. Then set the head on the fire in a saucepan, covered with cold water, salt, one onion sliced, half a lemon, four stalks of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, two cloves, two cloves of garlic, ten pepper-corns, and two tablespoonfuls of vinegar; boil gently till done. Bone it before using it.

When boiled after being boned, the brain is taken off in the same way as above and put in cold water also; then the tongue is cut out and boiled with the skin of the head, etc., with the same seasonings as when boiled whole. It is then ready for use, but leave it in the water till wanted; it would become tough if exposed to the air.

_In Poulette._--Put about two ounces of butter in a saucepan, set it on the fire, when melted turn in one tablespoonful of flour; stir, and as soon as it commences to turn yellow add half a pint of broth, stir again, and when thickening, add the calf's head cut in rather large dice, give one boil, take from the fire, add the yolk of an egg and about a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, stir, give another boil, and serve.

_In Vinaigrette._--Leave it in the water till perfectly cold; or, if wanted immediately, as soon as boiled, take it off and put in cold water to cool, and use. Cut the head in large dice and serve it with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, and parsley chopped.

_Broiled._--Prepare and boil the calf's head as directed. As soon as cool, cut it in about half a dozen pieces, dip them in beaten eggs, roll them in bread-crumbs, and broil both sides till turning of a golden color; serve warm with a _maitre d'hotel_ sauce, or with anchovy or horse-radish butter.

_Fried._--Calf's head may be fried as soon as prepared and boiled; but most generally, it is only what has been left from the day before that is fried. Cut it in small pieces about two inches square, dip them in melted butter, roll them in bread-crumbs, and fry them in hot fat. Serve hot, adding lemon-juice when the pieces of calf's head are on the dish.

_En Tortue, or Turtle-like._--There are two ways of preparing calf's head en tortue:

1. When it is prepared and boiled as directed above, drain it dry, cut it in pieces as for frying it; put them in a saucepan with one ounce of butter, set on the fire, stir for two minutes, add nearly a pint of Madeira wine, simmer gently for about half an hour; dish the meat, add a little lemon-juice all over, and serve warm. Some _quenelles_ of chicken may be placed all around, as a decoration; or a garniture of mushrooms.

2. Prepare and boil the calf's head; drain it dry and cut it in pieces about two inches square. Dish the pieces either mound-like, or around the dish, one lapping over the other, and turn the following over it, and serve warm: Put a _financiere_ garniture in a saucepan with a pint of Madeira wine, set on the fire and boil gently for about twenty minutes; take from the fire, spread over the pieces of calf's head, and serve.

Some hard-boiled eggs cut in four or eight pieces, lengthwise, may be placed all around the dish; or some pickled cucumbers, cut in fancy pieces, or some quenelles of veal or chicken.

_To prepare._--Soak it in lukewarm water for about three hours, trim it and free it from skin, blood, and small fibres; then drain and wipe it dry. Stuff or fill it with sausage-meat, to which you add previously two or three onions chopped fine.

_To cook._--When thus prepared, envelop it in buttered paper, set on the spit before a good fire, baste often, remove the paper a few minutes before taking it from the fire, then serve warm with a _piquante_, _poivrade_, or _ravigote_ sauce. It may also be served with a _vinaigrette_.

_To bake._--When prepared as directed above, put it in a baking-pan; spread a little butter over, put a little water in the bakepan and set in a quick oven, baste and turn over two or three times, and when done, serve with the gravy and the same sauces as if it were roasted.

_In Gratin._--Soak, drain and wipe it dry as directed.

Cut it in slices and put them in a crockery or other pan; turn a white sauce all over, then sprinkle on half a gill of vinegar or the juice of a lemon, dust with bread-crumbs, put half a dozen lumps of butter, each about the size of a hazelnut, all over; bake in a rather quick oven.

_Saute._--When prepared as directed below, cut it in pieces as directed for kidney in _brochettes_. Then put a piece of butter the size of half an egg in a frying-pan and set it on the fire; when melted, sprinkle in a teaspoonful of flour, stirring with a wooden spoon the while, add half a wine-glass of white wine, a tablespoonful of broth, a pinch of chopped parsley, salt and pepper, boil ten minutes and lay the fillets in; have a quick fire, and as soon as cooked dish them, spread the sauce over, sprinkle on a few drops of lemon-juice, and serve.

_To prepare._--Never cook a kidney except it be very fresh. Prepare in the following way, a beef, sheep, or calf's kidney. Pig's kidneys are excellent if they have no disagreeable taste, but it is very often the case. The bad taste may be partly taken away by blanching the kidney, but it makes it tough and tasteless; it is better to throw it away.

_In Brochettes._--Split the kidney in four lengthwise, and then cut it in rather small pieces. Cut fat salt pork in pieces of the same size as the pieces of kidney--the fatty part of the kidney must not be used--then salt and pepper the pieces of kidney; take a common skewer and run it through a piece of kidney, then through a piece of salt pork; repeat this till the skewer is full. Fill as many skewers as are necessary till the whole kidney is used; and then roast before a good fire, basting often with melted butter. Serve warm.

_Another way._--Prepare as above, and instead of roasting, put the skewers in a bake-pan, spread a little butter over the kidney and salt pork, cover the bottom of the pan only with cold water, and bake. While in the oven, turn over and baste occasionally.

Serve as the above, with its gravy, and warm.

_Another._--Skewer the kidney, or rather pieces of kidney and salt pork as above; dip them in beaten egg, roll them in bread-crumbs, and fry them in hot fat. Serve warm, but without gravy.

Cut them in four pieces, soak and wash them three or four times in lukewarm water, changing the water each time; press them with the hands to extract all the blood. Place the lights in a stewpan, cover them with cold water, and set on a good fire; boil two minutes, take them off, throw them in cold water, and drain them; cut the lights in dice. Have butter in a stewpan on the fire, and when melted, lay the lights in, fry five minutes, keeping them tossed the while, then sprinkle on a tablespoonful of flour, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon; pour on, little by little, about a pint of warm broth, also a saltspoonful of chopped parsley, a pinch of allspice, salt, pepper, a bay-leaf, and sprig of thyme; have a brisk fire, and when about half done, add four or five mushrooms, and eight small onions. When the whole is cooked, take off bay-leaf and thyme, then take from the fire, beat two yolks of eggs with a tablespoonful of vinegar, and mix with the whole, turn on a dish, and serve.