Sheep’s head for dinner
Dinner in Galleywood tonight so I could meet a financial advisor. As was pointed out at work, that’s a very ‘grown up’ thing to do (or, as it was actually put, ‘oh, very 31-year-old’).
Turns out, apart from moving my mortgage, I’m pretty much doing it all right at the moment, which was a relief (and I knew about the mortgage thing anyway). The more interesting part of the evening, though, was when he had gone and I did some unscheduled extra tidying with mum. I didn’t realise how much clutter I still had there. I seem to have left a trail of half-forgotten former belongings in my wake everywhere I’ve been for the last ten years. As a result, my room here is now stacked up with another batch of CDs to rip and dozens of tapes and videos of my early radio stuff (and I mean really early - some of it is 12 years ago and probably a cringe-making listen).
But the most interesting things weren’t mine at all: two copies of Family Circle from 1972, and my grandmother’s old cookery book, written in the 1920s and full of stomach-churning recipes like eel pie, and sheep’s head.
Naturally enough, the sheep’s head recipe starts with ‘1 sheep’s head’. The actual method, though, is far too surgical for me to ever contemplate:
Buy the head already split lengthways and remove the brains carefully. Place them in cold salted water to which vinegar may be added. Chop off the nose, and soak the head in tepid salted water for half an hour. Cleanse the head thoroughly, and blanch as follows; place in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring the water to boiling point, pour off the water and rinse the head. Remove the tongue. Tie the two halves of the head together. Boil gently for two hours with the vegetables and tongue. Either serve the head whole, coated with brain sauce (see page 196), or serve the meat and tongue cut in slices. Sheep’s trotters can be added to the above recipe if required. Wash, blanch, cook and serve with the head.
Bleurgh.
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October 13th, 2004 at 9:26 am
Hmmm, that does indeed sound interesting. So I take it that you don’t eat scorched sheep heads with swede mash in this country? Pickled rams testicles? No?
October 13th, 2004 at 3:09 pm
The recipe for brain sauce (page 196) please. I’m sure it would be thoroughly delectable.
October 13th, 2004 at 9:38 pm
Ooh, no thanks, Kristin. To be honest, though, I did think of all that strange Icelandic cuisine when I was writing that entry.
October 13th, 2004 at 11:06 pm
Strange? What is so strange about eating pickled rams testicles (do I hear every man audibly cringing and fumbling for their unmentionables?), I ask you? Or fermented skate, swimming in sheep fat?
Actually I quite agree with you. Not exactly what I’d like to see on my table (although that fermented skate (with butter) is a regular every Thorlaks Mass in my mother’s house).
Did you know that there is a similar dish to scorched sheep heads in the Faroe Islands? Icelanders abhor and detest this dish, and do you know why? It’s because the Faroese don’t close the sheeps’ eyes before cutting their heads up and scorching them. Hey, when you’re in Iceland at least you don’t have to look your food in the eye.
Or was that an urban legend?