Recipe Manuscript

To Raggou A Breast Of Veal

Name: To Raggou A Breast Of Veal
Prep time: PTPT30M
Cook time: PTPT3H
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1.5 kg breast of veal; 1/2 whole nutmeg, grated (or 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg); 2 teaspoons salt; 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped; 2 tablespoons fresh marjoram, chopped; 2 tablespoons fresh savory, chopped (or additional thyme/marjoram if unavailable); 2 tablespoons fresh sorrel, chopped (or spinach plus squeeze of lemon juice as substitute); 2 tablespoons butter or oil, for frying; 2 anchovy fillets (alternatively, 1 tablespoon anchovy paste); a pinch of black pepper; 250 ml red wine (optional); 250–500 ml water (enough to cover meat in pot, quantity may vary); 1 tablespoon flour; 2 additional tablespoons butter (for thickening); 150 g mushrooms, sliced (or 150 g oysters, shucked); 200 g sweetbreads (optional, for garnish)

1720

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of 1720

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate 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 Raggou A Breast Of Veal

"Take out all the long bones or grissels, then beat it well with the back of a knife, grate half a nutmeg upon it, or some salt shred thyme marjoram savory or sorrell, strew upon it, & fry it brown on both sides, then put it into a stew pan with the bones, two anchoves, or some pepper & as much water as will just cover it or a little red wine, let it stew three hours, thicken some of the liquor with butterr & flour & you may put in either oysters or mushrooms, or broil the sweet bread to put about it"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is characteristically terse and assumes the cook's familiarity with basic kitchen techniques—like 'beating' meat or making a roux—common among eighteenth-century professionals and literate home cooks. Spelling often follows older conventions: 'grissels' for gristle, or 'raggou' for ragoût, the latter reflecting the fashionable adoption of French culinary terms. Instructions are implicit, omitting ingredient amounts, cooking times, and precise temperatures, since these would be adapted to the kitchen's fireplace setup and the cook's own judgement.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of 1720 - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of 1720 (1720)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1720

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step back to the early 18th century and discover a delightful treasury of recipes and culinary secrets, where traditional flavors meet timeless technique—a feast for curious cooks and history lovers alike.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe dates from the early eighteenth century, around 1720, a period of transition in British foodways. The dish, a ragoût of breast of veal, reflects French culinary influence, visible in the use of a rich, slow-cooked sauce thickened with butter and flour, and garnished with oysters or mushrooms for a flourish. Veal, anchovy, and ample fresh herbs were kitchen staples among the affluent, while the use of sweetbreads as a garnish illustrates the era's enthusiasm for offal and complex presentation. The inclusion of wine also signals an increasingly cosmopolitan taste, as British cooks absorbed continental styles.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Cooks of the era would have used a sturdy kitchen knife to cut and beat the veal, and an iron or copper frying pan for browning the meat over an open hearth. The stewing itself took place in a heavy lidded pot (often called a stewpan), which would be placed over coals or hung above the fire for long, gentle simmering. Sauce thickening was done in a small saucepan by hand, using a wooden spoon, with flour kneaded into butter to make a roux. Ovens or gridirons may have been used for broiling sweetbreads, and presentation would be on a large platter surrounded by the garnishes.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

30 mins

Cook Time

3 hrs

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

3 1/3 lbs breast of veal
1/2 whole nutmeg, grated (or 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg)
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh marjoram, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh savory, chopped (or additional thyme/marjoram if unavailable)
2 tablespoons fresh sorrel, chopped (or spinach plus squeeze of lemon juice as substitute)
2 tablespoons butter or oil, for frying
2 anchovy fillets (alternatively, 1 tablespoon anchovy paste)
a pinch of black pepper
1 cup red wine (optional)
1–2 cups water (enough to cover meat in pot, quantity may vary)
1 tablespoon flour
2 additional tablespoons butter (for thickening)
5 oz mushrooms, sliced (or 5 oz oysters, shucked)
7 oz sweetbreads (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Begin by removing the long bones and any tough gristle from a veal breast (approximately 3 1/3 lbs).
Tenderize the meat by gently beating it with the back of a knife or a meat mallet.
Grate half a nutmeg over the meat, and season with about 2 teaspoons of salt.
Chop a small handful (about 2 tablespoons each) of fresh thyme, marjoram, savory, and sorrel—if sorrel is unavailable, substitute with a little spinach and a squeeze of lemon juice for tartness.
Sprinkle the herbs over the veal and fry it in a large pan over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of butter or oil until both sides are well browned.
Transfer the veal to a stewpot along with the reserved bones.
Add two anchovy fillets, a good pinch of black pepper, and pour in enough water (about 2 cups), or a mix of half water, half red wine (1 cup each), to just cover the meat.
Stew gently, covered, for about three hours.
To finish, ladle a cup (about 1 cup / 8 fl oz) of the cooking liquid into a saucepan, thicken it with a roux made from 1 tablespoon flour blended with 2 tablespoons butter.
For a touch of extravagance, toss in 5 oz of either sliced mushrooms or shelled oysters, heating through until just cooked.
Optionally, broil some sweetbreads (about 7 oz), cut into pieces and arranged around the dish as a garnish before serving.

Estimated Calories

510 per serving

Cooking Estimates

You can prepare this dish in about 30 minutes and cook it for 3 hours. The recipe yields 6 servings, each with about 510 calories.

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.