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Mock Turtle

A historical recipe from Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886).

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A historical recipe

Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886). Project Gutenberg eBook #44915.

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

France

Known as a French recipe, with similar versions prepared across other nations.

Ingredients 13 ingredients

  1. a gallon over
  2. 3 pounds of knuckle of veal
  3. 2 quarts of this
  4. a pound of fresh butter
  5. 12 ounces of sliced onions
  6. 4 ounces of green sage
  7. one pound of flour
  8. 1/4 ounce of ground allspice
  9. 1/2 ounce of black pepper ground fine
  10. 1/2 pint of wine
  11. 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice
  12. 10 quarts of soup
  13. 2 quarts of stock-meat set aside

Possible health benefits

General information, not medical advice.

  1. Flour Source of phosphorus · Source of copper · Source of manganese · +1

    Source of phosphorus · 106 mg per 100 g, 15% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Phosphorus contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Phosphorus contributes to normal function of cell membranes.
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Phosphorus contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth.

    Phosphorus is a mineral contained in each cell in our body. Most phosphorus is in the bones and teeth, and some is in your genes. NIH fact sheet

    Source of copper · 0.2 mg per 100 g, 17% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Copper contributes to maintenance of normal connective tissues.
    • Copper contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Copper contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    5 more authorised claims
    • Copper contributes to normal hair pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to normal iron transport in the body.
    • Copper contributes to normal skin pigmentation.
    • Copper contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Copper contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Copper is a mineral that you need to stay healthy. Your body uses copper to carry out many important functions, including making energy, connective tissues, and blood vessels. NIH fact sheet

    Source of manganese · 0.6 mg per 100 g, 28% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Manganese contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Manganese contributes to the maintenance of normal bones.
    • Manganese contributes to the normal formation of connective tissue.
    1 more authorised claims
    • Manganese contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Manganese is a mineral that your body needs to stay healthy. Your body uses manganese to make energy and protect your cells from damage. NIH fact sheet

    Source of selenium · 10 µg per 100 g, 19% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Selenium contributes to normal spermatogenesis.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal hair.
    • Selenium contributes to the maintenance of normal nails.
    3 more authorised claims
    • Selenium contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Selenium contributes to the normal thyroid function.
    • Selenium contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.

    Selenium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Your thyroid gland needs selenium to produce hormones and function properly. NIH fact sheet

    Nutrients per 100 g of “Flour, 00”, USDA FoodData Central.

  2. Lemon juice High in vitamin C

    High in vitamin C · 39 mg per 100 g, 48% of the reference intake per 100 g

    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of blood vessels.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of bones.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage.
    11 more authorised claims
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of gums.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of skin.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of teeth.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system.
    • Vitamin C contributes to normal psychological function.
    • Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system.
    • Vitamin C contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress.
    • Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
    • Vitamin C contributes to the regeneration of the reduced form of vitamin E.
    • Vitamin C increases iron absorption.

    Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water-soluble nutrient found in some foods. In the body, it acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals. NIH fact sheet

    Nutrients per 100 g of “Lemon juice, raw”, USDA FoodData Central.

Claims: EU Register of health claims (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, © European Union, CC BY 4.0), shown only where the ingredient meets the claim's conditions (Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006). Nutrients: USDA FoodData Central (CC0). Facts: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (public domain).

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. Get a calf's head with skin on, take out the brains, wash the head several times in cold water, let it soak one hour in spring water, then lay in a stewpan, and cover with cold water, and half a gallon over.
  2. Take off the scum that rises as it warms.
  3. Let it boil for one hour, take it up and, when almost cold, cut the head into pieces one and a half inches, and the tongue into mouthfuls, or make a side dish of tongue and brains.
  4. When the head is taken out put in the stock meat, about 3 pounds of knuckle of veal, and as much beef, add all the trimmings and bones of the head, skim it well, cover close, let it boil 5 hours (save 2 quarts of this for gravy sauce), strain it off and let stand until morning;
  5. then take off the fat;
  6. set a large stewpan on the fire, with half a pound of fresh butter, 12 ounces of sliced onions, 4 ounces of green sage;
  7. chop it a little;
  8. let these fry 1 hour, then rub in one pound of flour, then add the broth by degrees until it is as thick as cream.
  9. Season with 1/4 ounce of ground allspice, 1/2 ounce of black pepper ground fine, salt to your taste the rind of a lemon peeled thin.
  10. Let it simmer gently for 1-1/2 hours, strain through a hair sieve.
  11. If it does not go through easily press a wooden spoon against the sides of the sieve.
  12. Put it in a clean stewpan with the head, and season it by putting to each gallon of soup 1/2 pint of wine, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice.
  13. Let it simmer until the meat is tender (from 1/2 hour to 1 hour).
  14. Take care it is not overdone.
  15. Stir often to keep the meat from sticking to the pan.
  16. When the meat is quite tender the soup is ready.
  17. A head of 20 pounds and 10 pounds of stock-meat will make 10 quarts of soup, besides the 2 quarts of stock-meat set aside for side dishes.
  18. If there is more meat on the head than you wish to use make a ragout pie of some of it.

Plating

Cookware for this recipe

  • Frying pan
  • Saucepan
  • Chef's knife
  • Cutting board
  • Vegetable peeler
  • Wooden spoon
  • Slotted spoon
  • Sieve
Source Public domain in the USA
Credit

From Margaret Brown's French Cookery Book, by Margaret Brown (1886). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #44915 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/44915). 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.