A Calfes Head Pye

This recipe hails from the mid-18th century household of Mary Puleston, a woman of some means and status given the complexity and expense of the ingredients. Dishes like calf’s head pie showcase the English tradition of using every part of the animal and combining savory meats with luxurious ingredients such as marrow, artichokes, eggs, sweetbreads, candied citrus, and dried fruit. Such pies were festive showpieces, often featured on grand tables during the Georgian era, signaling wealth and culinary sophistication. The mingling of sweet and savory was highly prized, and spices such as cloves, mace, and cinnamon were prized imports. The use of 'forced meat' balls, artichoke bottoms, and sweetbreads further marks this out as a dish for celebration.

Back in the 18th century, the cook would have used heavy iron pots to poach the calf’s head, a cleaver for splitting the head, and sturdy knives for slicing and butchering. Hard-boiled eggs would be prepared in iron saucepans over an open hearth. Pie dishes or deep pie moulds (typically made of metal or ceramic) were used to shape the pie. A rolling pin was needed for forming the pastry, and a brick or wood-fired oven provided the heat for baking the pie to golden perfection. Spoons and ladles made of wood or pewter assisted in arranging fillings and extracting marrow from bones.