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English Calf's Head or Mock Turtle Ragout

20 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pcs Calf's head
• 2 pcs Ox tongues
• Shallots (a little)
• Cloves (a little)
• Peppercorns (a little)
• Bay leaves (a little)
• 250 g Steamed veal sweetbreads
• Meatballs (a little)
• 250 g Sausages
• Butter (a little)
• Flour (a little)
• Beef bouillon (a little)
• Lemon slices (a little)
• Morels (a little)
• Mushrooms (a little)
• Capers (a little)
• 1 pinch Cayenne pepper
• 0.25 bottle Madeira

Instructions

1. Skim a calf's head and 2 ox tongues in salted water, then cook them until tender (2 to 2½ hours) with shallots, cloves, peppercorns, and bay leaves, and place on a platter.
2. Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
3. Add 250 g steamed veal sweetbreads, meatballs, and 250 g browned sausages.
4. Brown butter with flour, then pour in a good beef bouillon, add the meat, along with lemon slices, morels, mushrooms, capers, a pinch of cayenne pepper, and finally ¼ bottle of Madeira.
5. Garnished with puff pastry cuts or a pastry or bread border, this ragout replaces a pie.
6. This quantity serves a party of 20 people.

Modernized from a treasured 19th-century German cookbook.