Page:Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management.djvu/692

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Ingredients.—6 sheep's brains, vinegar, salt, a few slices of bacon, 1 small onion, 2 cloves, a small bunch of parsley, sufficient stock or weak broth to cover the brains, 1 tablespoonful of lemon-juice, matelote sauce (see Sauces).

Method.—Detach the brains from the heads without breaking them, remove the skin, cover with warm water, and let them remain for 2 hours. Have ready a saucepan of boiling water, add a little vinegar and salt, and put in the brains. When they are quite firm take them out, and put them into very cold water. Place 2 or 3 slices of bacon in a stewpan, put in the brains, the onion stuck with 2 cloves, the parsley, and a good seasoning of pepper and salt. Cover with stock or weak broth, and boil them gently for about 25 minutes. Have ready some fried bread croûtons, arrange them in a dish alternately with the brains, and cover with a matelote sauce, to which the lemon-juice has been added.

Time.—25 minutes after the brains are blanched. Average Cost, 2s. 6d. Sufficient for 5 or 6 persons.

Ingredients.—A sheep's head, 2 tablespoonfuls of pearl barley or rice, 2 onions, 2 small carrots, 1 small turnip, a bouquet-garni (parsley thyme, bay-leaf), 10 peppercorns, salt and pepper. For the sauce: ¾ pint of liquor the head was cooked in, 1½ ozs. of butter, 1½ ozs. of flour.

Method.—Cut the head in half, remove the brains, wash them and put them into cold water, with a little salt. Wash the head in several waters, carefully remove any splintered bones, and let it soak in salt and water for 1 hour. Cover with cold water, bring to the boil, pour away the water, replace with fresh cold water, add the bouquet-garni, peppercorns and salt, boil up, and skim well. The head must be cooked slowly for about 3 hours; 1½ hours before serving add the vegetables sliced, with the rice or barley, and when the latter is used it must be previously blanched. Remove the skin and fibres from the brains, tie them in muslin, boil them for 10 or 15 minutes in the liquor, then chop them coarsely. Heat the butter in a stewpan, add the flour, stir over the fire for 2 or 3 minutes, then add ¾ of a pint of liquor from the pot, simmer for 10 minutes, add the brains, season to taste, and keep hot until required. When ready, bone the head, put the meat in the centre of a hot dish, pour the sauce over, and garnish with slices of tongue and the vegetables. Serve the broth separately.