Boiled Sheep’s Head. Time—5 hours.
1 sheep’s head, 3 onions, 3 turnips, a small bunch parsley, 1 tablespoonful pearl barley, 2 teaspoonfuls salt, ½ teaspoonful pepper, sufficient cold water to cover the head, ½ oz. flour, 1 oz. dripping.
Soak the head for one hour in lukewarm water. Then remove the tongue, brains, and all the thin soft bones from the inside of the head. Tie it together put it in a saucepan, cover with water, adding the salt, and bring it slowly to the boil; take off the scum. Prepare the vegetables, wash the barley, and add all to the head. Let the whole simmer gently for 3 hours. About ½ hour before it is done, tie the brains in a little piece of muslin, and throw them into the saucepan. Boil the tongue separately. When done, place the head on a hot dish. Mash the turnips with a little dripping, pepper and salt, form into little balls, and place round the dish alternately with the carrots. Halve the tongue, and lay it across the head. Pour over all a sauce made of the flour browned in the dripping, half a pint of the stock in which the head has been boiled, the brains, slightly chopped, and a little finely-chopped parsley. The broth may be used as it is, or made into a soup of any kind.