Recipe Manuscript

To Coller A Breast Of Veal

Name: To Coller A Breast Of Veal
Prep time: PTPT25M
Cook time: PTPT2H30M
Yield: 6
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1.5 kg veal breast (boned and trimmed of gristle); 1/2 tsp ground mace; 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 2 tsp salt; 2 egg whites (beaten); Water, for boiling; Butcher's twine or kitchen string (to tie the roll); For gravy: veal bones and trimmings, 250 ml water, 1 bay leaf, 6 peppercorns, 100 g mushrooms (optional)

1780

From the treasured pages of English receipt book

Unknown Author

Culinary Enlightenment (1700 - 1800)European Intermediate Dinner Lunch

Original Recipe • 1780

Original Manuscript(circa Culinary Enlightenment, 1700 - 1800)

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

To Coller A Breast Of Veal

"Let your Breast of Veal be boned and clared from ye Grissles then take Mace, Nutmeg, Pepper and Salt, finely beat & Rub over the Meat, then take the White of an Egg or two, well beat and roll over the seasoning, then roll your Coller, as hard as you can and bind it very tight with Course tape let it boil Slow a little more than two hours, and take it up 1/4 of an hour before you cut it, Make a little Gravy of the bones and bits you cut of the Veal for the Sauce, wch you may make much the Same as for Boiled fowl, Add Mushrooms if you like them in your Sauce."

Note on the Original Text

This recipe, like many from the late 18th century, is written in a more conversational tone, often omitting precise quantities or temperatures because it was assumed the cook had experience and judgment honed by practice, not by strict measurement. Spelling and abbreviations reflect period norms: 'Coller' is the archaic form of 'collar' (to roll and tie), and 'wch' stands for 'which.' Instructions are given in a continuous narrative, rather than today's familiar bullet-point steps, and there is reliance on the cook to interpret doneness and proportions.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

English receipt book - Click to view recipe in book

Title

English receipt book (1780)

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

Writer

Unknown

Era

1780

Publisher

Unknown

Background

A delightful 18th-century manuscript containing 64 charming recipes penned by multiple hands, from Dutch blancmange to bride cake and sauces for every fowl and fish. Home remedies and clever kitchen conversions are tucked alongside famed concoctions like walnut ketchup, making this a flavorful peek into English culinary tradition.

Kindly made available by

Penn State University Libraries

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe comes from an English manuscript receipt (recipe) book dated to around 1780, a time when home cooks recorded their own culinary traditions and adapted recipes by hand. The book contains not just food recipes, but also remedies and household tips—an insight into the day-to-day lives and tastes of Georgian-era Britons. Dishes like 'collared' veal reflect both a love of spicing and the culinary technique of rolling, tying, and poaching meat for neat serving and preservation. Recipes could be attributed to friends or family, demonstrating the communal, oral nature of cooking knowledge before the widespread availability of printed cookbooks.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

Historically, the cook would have used a large, sharp knife to bone and trim the veal breast, and possibly a wooden mallet for tenderizing if needed. Spices were ground in a mortar and pestle. Coarse linen tape or string would have been employed to bind the meat into its rolled 'collar' form. Poaching occurred in a heavy iron or copper pot placed over a hearth fire, with the roll simmering slowly. For the sauce, bones would be simmered and the resulting liquid strained through a cloth or sieve.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

25 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

3 1/3 lb veal breast (boned and trimmed of gristle)
1/2 tsp ground mace
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt
2 egg whites (beaten)
Water, for boiling
Butcher's twine or kitchen string (to tie the roll)
For gravy: veal bones and trimmings, 1 cup water, 1 bay leaf, 6 peppercorns, 3.5 oz mushrooms (optional)

Instructions

Begin by carefully removing the bones and gristle from a 3 1/3 lb (roughly) breast of veal, ensuring the meat remains in a single, large piece.
Mix together 1/2 teaspoon mace, 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 2 teaspoons salt.
Grind these spices finely and rub this mixture thoroughly over the veal breast.
Beat 2 egg whites until frothy and brush them generously across the seasoned side of the meat.
Roll the veal up tightly from the short end, forming a firm log or 'collar.' Secure the roll very tightly with butcher's twine or kitchen string (originally coarse tape).
Place the rolled veal into a large pot of barely simmering water and poach gently for 2–2.5 hours.
Remove the veal, let it rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
While the veal cooks, make a quick gravy by simmering the veal bones and trimmings with water, a few peppercorns, a bay leaf, and (optional) some mushrooms until the liquid is rich.
Strain and finish the sauce as you would for a simple boiled chicken.
Slice the cooled veal roll and serve with the prepared sauce.

Estimated Calories

315 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 25 minutes to prepare the veal, remove bones, mix spices, rub, roll, and tie. Cooking the veal by poaching takes just over 2 hours. Each serving is about 315 calories, and the recipe serves 6 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.