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Lamb's Head

A historical recipe from Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree (1878).

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A historical recipe

Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree (1878). Project Gutenberg eBook #42450.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

United States

Known as an American recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 2 ingredients

  1. eight spoonfuls water
  2. a spoonful of vinegar

Cook safely

Keep children and pets away from the hob and the oven, and keep oven gloves and a lid within reach.

  • Hot oil. Never put water on an oil fire: turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid or a damp tea towel. Pat food dry before it goes into hot oil, and lower it in gently, away from you.
  • Boiling water and steam. Turn pan handles inward, away from the edge of the hob. Lift lids away from you, and pour hot water away from your body: steam burns too.
  • Sharp knives. Cut on a board that doesn't slip (a damp cloth under it helps), and curl the fingers of the hand that holds the food.

Method

  1. Boil the head and liver, but so as not to let the liver be too much done.
  2. Take up the head, split it through the bone, which must remain with the meat on.
  3. Cut the meat across and across with a knife, grate some nutmeg on it and lay it on a dish before a good fire;
  4. then throw over it some grated bread crumbs, some sweet herbs, some allspice, a little lemon peel chopped fine, a very little pepper and salt.
  5. Baste it with butter, and dredge a little flour over it.
  6. Just as it is done, take one-half the liver, the lights, the meat, the tongue;
  7. chop them small with six or eight spoonfuls water or gravy.
  8. First shake some flour over the meat and stew it together;
  9. then put in the gravy or water, a good piece of butter rolled in a little flour, pepper and salt, and what runs from the head in the dish.
  10. Simmer all together a few minutes, and add half a spoonful of vinegar;
  11. pour it on the head.
  12. Lay the head on the centre of the mince-meat;
  13. have ready the other half of liver, cut in pieces and fried quickly with slices of bacon and lemon;
  14. lay these around the dish and serve.--Mrs.
  15. T.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Frying pan
  • Saucepan
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Grater
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Pastry brush
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Housekeeping in Old Virginia, by Marion Cabell Tyree (1878). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #42450 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/42450). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.