Recipe Manuscript

To Dress A Breast Of Veal Gallantine

Name: To Dress A Breast Of Veal Gallantine
Prep time: PTPT45M
Cook time: PTPT2H30M
Yield: 8
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1.5 kg breast of veal (boned); 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 2 teaspoons sea salt; 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg; 1 small bunch fresh parsley (finely chopped); 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (chopped); 2 teaspoons fresh marjoram (chopped); 150 g beef or veal suet (finely chopped) or beef fat; 150 g unsmoked streaky bacon (thinly sliced); 150 g veal sweetbreads (cleaned, parboiled, and sliced); 2 liters veal or chicken stock; Bouquet garni (parsley stalks, bay leaf, thyme sprigs); 300 ml veal or chicken stock (from boiling); 100 ml dry white wine; 100 ml double cream; 100 g oysters (cleaned; optional for garnish); Fresh lemon slices; Pickled vegetables (cocktail gherkins or onions); 100 g mushrooms (sautéed); Horseradish root (for fresh shaving/garnish)

1720

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of 1720 approximately

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Advanced Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1720

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Dress A Breast Of Veal Gallantine

"Bone it & Stretch it, then beat it as flat as you can, then take peper, Salt, & nutmeg, all finely shred, parsley, thyme, Sweet margerum & Veal Suet, or beef if you chuse it. Season your meat very well with this forcer meat, & lay betwixt this, Slices of fine row'd bacon, & Sweet breads, roll it up tight as you can, beginning at the neck, Sow it up with fine thread, & tye it up in a cloth, boyl it Slow in good Veal broth with a few herbs. When your meat is Hard enough, take Some of the broth, & make Sauce with a little white wine, when your Sauce is to your palate, with a little Cream to make it whiter. Take the Veal out of your cloth & lay it on the dish, with fry'd Sweet breads, & oysters in the Season about it, pour your Sauce over it, & garnish with Lemon, picklers, Mushrooms, & horse radish."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in the loose, narrative style typical of early 18th-century English cookbooks: ingredients and methods are presented together without systematic weights and measures, assuming the cook’s familiarity with the kitchen. Terms like 'forcer meat' mean forcemeat (seasoned minced meat stuffing); 'Sweet breads' refers to the thymus or pancreas of a calf or lamb; 'row’d bacon' is rolled or thinly sliced bacon. Spellings are variable—'margerum' is marjoram, 'boyl' is boil, 'Sow' is sew—reflecting the period’s flexible orthography and the oral tradition of cookery instruction.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of 1720 approximately - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of 1720 approximately (1720)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1720

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful window into early 18th-century kitchens, this historical culinary tome brims with recipes, culinary wisdom, and the flavors of a bygone era—offering food enthusiasts a taste of both tradition and intrigue.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe hails from early 18th-century England, a time when kitchens were transitioning from medieval to more modern cookery. Veal gallantine was a showpiece dish, emblematic of festive and high-status tables, requiring advanced techniques like boning, rolling, and stuffing. Dishes such as these showcased a cook’s skill and the household’s prosperity, as ingredients like sweetbreads and veal were prized. Gallantines reflected the period’s love for elaborate, decorative presentations—garnishing with lemon, pickles, and horseradish made the dish both visually playful and tantalizing for the palate.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks would use a sharp boning knife and cleaver for removing bones from the veal and flattening it, along with a wooden mallet to beat the meat flat. For mixing and mincing, large chopping knives and wooden bowls were common. Needle and strong thread were needed to sew up the roll, and linen cloth and string to wrap and secure it. Boiling took place in heavy copper or earthenware pots over a wood or coal fire. Sauce preparations were done in smaller pans, likely of copper or tin. Ladles, skimmers, and serving platters finished the process.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs 30 mins

Servings

We've done our best to adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, but some details may still need refinement. We warmly welcome feedback from fellow cooks and culinary historians — your insights support the entire community!

Ingredients

3¼ lb breast of veal (boned)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 small bunch fresh parsley (finely chopped)
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (chopped)
2 teaspoons fresh marjoram (chopped)
5½ oz beef or veal suet (finely chopped) or beef fat
5½ oz unsmoked streaky bacon (thinly sliced)
5½ oz veal sweetbreads (cleaned, parboiled, and sliced)
2 quarts veal or chicken stock
Bouquet garni (parsley stalks, bay leaf, thyme sprigs)
10 fl oz veal or chicken stock (from boiling)
3½ fl oz dry white wine
3½ fl oz double cream
3½ oz oysters (cleaned; optional for garnish)
Fresh lemon slices
Pickled vegetables (cocktail gherkins or onions)
3½ oz mushrooms (sautéed)
Horseradish root (for fresh shaving/garnish)

Instructions

Start by carefully boning a whole veal breast (about 3¼ lb), then stretch it out and pound it with a meat mallet until flat.
Prepare a forcemeat by finely mixing 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons sea salt, ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg, a small bunch of finely chopped parsley, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, 2 teaspoons fresh marjoram, and about 5½ oz finely chopped beef or veal suet (or substitute with beef fat).
Spread half the forcemeat over the breast.
Lay over it 5½ oz thinly sliced unsmoked streaky bacon and about 5½ oz cooked, sliced veal sweetbreads (pan-fried or gently poached first).
Add the rest of the forcemeat, then tightly roll up the meat from the neck end.
Sew up the roll with kitchen twine and wrap it tightly in a clean cloth.
Secure with more string.
Place into a large pot with 2 quarts of veal (or chicken) stock and a bouquet of herbs (parsley stalks, bay, thyme).
Simmer very gently for 2–2.5 hours, until firm.
For the sauce, reduce about 10 fl oz of the cooking stock with 3½ fl oz dry white wine, seasoning to taste.
Finish with 3½ fl oz cream for a pale color and smooth taste.
Unwrap the veal, slice, and serve garnished with fried sweetbreads and sautéed oysters around, poured with the sauce.
Decorate with lemon slices, pickles, sautéed mushrooms, and fresh horseradish shavings.

Estimated Calories

550 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You’ll spend about 45 minutes getting the ingredients ready and assembling the veal roll. Cooking takes an extra 2–2.5 hours as it gently simmers. Each serving contains around 550 calories — this recipe feeds 8 people.

As noted above, we have made our best effort to translate and adapt this historical recipe for modern kitchens, taking into account ingredients nowadays, cooking techniques, measurements, and so on. However, historical recipes often contain assumptions that require interpretation.

We'd love for anyone to help improve these adaptations. Community contributions are highly welcome. If you have suggestions, corrections, or cooking tips based on your experience with this recipe, please share them below.