Recipe Manuscript

How To Rost A Calves Head

Name: How To Rost A Calves Head
Prep time: PTPT40M
Cook time: PTPT1H30M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 calf’s head (1–1.5 kg; use a veal head, or substitute with half a lamb head if needed); Brains and tongue from the calf’s head (or substitute with lamb brains/tongue); 10–15 g fresh sage leaves; 2 eggs (approx. 100 g); 30 g sugar; 50 g grated bread or breadcrumbs; 2 g mixed baking spices (nutmeg, clove, optionally cinnamon); 25 g fresh spinach leaves (optional, summer only); Kitchen twine for tying; 3–4 sprigs fresh rosemary; 3–4 whole cloves; 75 g unsalted butter (for basting and sauce); Salt to taste; Zest of 1 orange; 125 g dried currants; 20 ml wine vinegar; Juice of 1 orange; 10 g sugar (for sauce); 100 ml water

1684

From the treasured pages of Cookbook of Elizabeth Fowler

Written by Elizabeth Fowler

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Advanced Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1684

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

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

How To Rost A Calves Head

"you must tak ye calves head and wash it very well take out all braines and cut out the toung cleane from the fath and boyle it wth the braines sadge & put a puding whoes the braine was and mak it very stif with egs and shuger grated bread & a little spice in tho sumor time put in spinage to coller it green soo ty it fast wth lay and put on the spitt and rost it stik a foon branches of rose mary & a fow cloves in the rosting of it bast it wth fresh Butter & thron some salt upon it In the rosting you must take some oreng rine & boyle it in 3 waters cut it in small pieces then take a litle water & boyle a quarter of a pound of Currens wth a little slicd nuttmeg simon butterr vineger and the oreng peell minced: a litle shuger & the Juc of oreng so when ye calves head is ready put it in the dish wth ye sawes so serve it to the table garnish ye dish wth oreng peele & salt"

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in early Modern English with minimal punctuation and idiosyncratic spelling—'boyle' for 'boil', 'eges' for 'eggs', and 'braines' for 'brains'. Directions were brief; much was assumed about the reader's culinary knowledge and experience. Quantities are vague ('a litle', 'some') since cooking was more intuitive and flexible, and precise measurements were rare. There is also a playful flexibility—spinach for colouring in summer, spices and sugar to taste, simple stuffing and garnishing instructions. The spelling and style can present a challenge for the modern cook but offer a wonderful window into the daily ingenuity of cooks of the past.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Cookbook of Elizabeth Fowler - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Cookbook of Elizabeth Fowler (1684)

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

Writer

Elizabeth Fowler

Era

1684

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A charming window into the kitchens of 17th-century England, this cookbook authored by the accomplished Elizabeth Fowler invites you to explore a delectable world of historic recipes, tempting sweets, and elegant table fare fit for any refined palate.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes to us from 1684, from the collection of Elizabeth Fowler. The late seventeenth century was a period of great culinary creativity in England, with influences from Europe and the global spice trade beginning to permeate elite kitchens. Dishes like this roast calf's head reflect both the penchant for elaborate presentations and clever use of all animal parts, a hallmark of the time. Orange and currant sauces with meat were a fashionable culinary flourish, showing off both imported fruits and the cook’s technical skills. Sage-stuffed brains, and an aesthetic green hint from spinach, are all about texture and colour, essential aspects of dinner-table spectacle in Restoration England.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

To make this recipe in the seventeenth century, a large open hearth with a spit for roasting would be essential. Iron pots and pans for boiling the brains, tongue, and orange zest; a knife for carving; and a mortar and pestle or grater for preparing spices and breadcrumbs. Branches (for example, of rosemary) might be cut fresh from the garden. For tying and securing the head, strips of kitchen cloth or twine were used. The sauce would be simmered in a small pan suspended over the fire or placed in the ashes for gentle heat.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

40 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 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

1 calf’s head (2.2–3.3 lbs; use a veal head, or substitute with half a lamb head if needed)
Brains and tongue from the calf’s head (or substitute with lamb brains/tongue)
0.35–0.53 oz fresh sage leaves
2 eggs (approx. 3.5 oz)
1 oz sugar
1.75 oz grated bread or breadcrumbs
0.07 oz mixed baking spices (nutmeg, clove, optionally cinnamon)
0.9 oz fresh spinach leaves (optional, summer only)
Kitchen twine for tying
3–4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3–4 whole cloves
2.6 oz unsalted butter (for basting and sauce)
Salt to taste
Zest of 1 orange
4.4 oz dried currants
0.7 fl oz wine vinegar
Juice of 1 orange
0.35 oz sugar (for sauce)
3.4 fl oz water

Instructions

Begin by thoroughly washing a fresh calf’s head (around 2.2–3.3 lbs).
Carefully remove the brains and tongue.
Clean the tongue of any fat and set aside; do the same with the brains.
Boil the brains and tongue together with a handful (about 0.35–0.53 oz) of fresh sage leaves until cooked.
Prepare a stuffing by mixing the boiled brains with 2 eggs (approx.
3.5 oz), 1 oz sugar, 1.75 oz grated bread (or breadcrumbs), a pinch of mixed baking spices like nutmeg and clove (~0.07 oz), and, if it is summer, 0.9 oz chopped fresh spinach for colour.
The mixture should be thick and hold its shape.
Spoon this stuffing into the cavity from where the brains were removed.
Tie up the head (you can use kitchen twine) to secure it.
Place it on a spit or in a modern oven-safe roasting pan.
Stud the head with several small branches of fresh rosemary (about 3–4 sprigs) and a few (3–4) whole cloves.
Roast for approximately 60–90 minutes at 350°F, regularly basting with fresh butter and sprinkling with salt.
Meanwhile, for the sauce, take the zest of one orange, cut it into thin strips and boil in water, changing the water three times to reduce bitterness.
Chop the boiled peel finely.
Simmer 3.4 fl oz water with 4.4 oz currants, a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, 0.7 fl oz good wine vinegar, 1.75 oz unsalted butter, the minced orange peel, a little sugar (0.35 oz), and the juice of an orange.
Warm through until slightly syrupy.
When the calf’s head is roasted and beautifully golden, serve it on a dish with the currant-orange sauce poured over.
Garnish with more strips of orange peel and a sprinkle of salt.

Estimated Calories

520 per serving

Cooking Estimates

Preparing and cooking a stuffed calf’s head takes time. Preparing the brains, tongue, and stuffing, as well as getting everything ready to roast, takes about 40 minutes. Roasting the head until it is golden and making the sauce takes around 90 minutes. One stuffed calf’s head with sauce serves about 6 people. Each serving has about 520 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.