Sheep’s brains.—(a) Prepare the brains as directed in (b); when cold cut them into dice, and dip them into a batter made as follows:—Mix 2 large tablespoonfuls flour with 4 of water, a tablespoonful of dissolved butter or oil, the yolk of an egg and a pinch of salt and pepper. Let it stand for 2 hours. When ready to use beat the white of the egg to a froth, and mix with the batter. Fry in oil or other good fat, taking care that it boils when you drop in the beignets one by one.
(b) Wash them thoroughly and boil them very fast so as to harden them, either in water highly seasoned and flavoured with onion or in stock. When done (they will take about 20 minutes), take them up and allow them to stand until cold, then cut them into thin slices, dip them in egg, and afterwards in very finely sifted breadcrumbs with an equal proportion of raspings, a pinch of flour, and enough pepper and salt to season highly. Fry in a little butter, first on one side, until brown and crisp, then on the other until finished. Serve on a hot dish with a little thick rich gravy.
(c) Take some lambs’ or sheeps’ brains, and first boil them in milk; then chop them finely, and mix with them a few bread crumbs, a small quantity of cream, seasoning of salt and pepper, and the yolk of an egg to bind the ingredients. Roll this mixture into small round balls, cover them with egg and breadcrumbs, and fry them a light brown. To be served on a napkin, with fried parsley, like rissoles.
(d) Well wash the brains and soak them in cold water till white. Parboil them till tender in a small saucepan for about ¼ hour; then thoroughly drain them, and place them on a board. Divide them into small pieces with a knife. Dip each piece into flour, and then roll them in egg and bread crumbs, and fry in butter or well clarified dripping. Serve very hot with gravy. Another way of doing brains is to prepare them as above, and then stew them gently in rich stock, like stewed sweetbreads. They are also nice plainly boiled and served with parsley and butter sauce.
(e) Take off the skin, and let them soak for 2 hours in lukewarm water; when white blanch them in boiling water, to which salt and a little vinegar have been added; when quite firm lay them in cold water. Line a stewpan just large enough to hold the brains, with bacon, a very small onion stuck with a clove, a sprig or two of parsley, and a slice or two of lemon; cover with more bacon, and pour in a little broth. 15-20 minutes are quite enough to cook them, but they should be cooked an hour or two before dinner to be properly flavoured. When wanted, have ready some fried sippets of bread, and dish with a piece of bread and brains alternately, and in the centre pour some good white sauce, with mushrooms, or truffles if you have them, a tiny onion or two, or any rich flavouring, and serve very hot; or, having dished the brains and the sippets, work a couple of spoonfuls of rich white sauce with a little fresh butter, salt, cayenne, a sprig or two of parsley finely chopped, and the juice of half a lemon, till quite hot over the fire; pour this over the brains and serve quickly. Calves’ brains are very good in the same way, or served with tomato sauce, or brown butter, as follows: Fry some parsley, but keep it as green as possible; also fry some butter till it is a good dark brown; add to this a spoonful of vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Dish the brains, with the fried parsley in the centre, and pour the butter sauce carefully round them (not over), and serve.
Sheep’s heads.—(a) Clean the head well, boil it 2 hours, remove the bones; egg and breadcrumb the meat; boil the brains in a piece of muslin ¼ hour, chop with a little parsley and onion, serve round the head; the tongue boiled and served in the dish or separately; or the tongue and brains may be sent in one dish, and the meat served with gravy.
(b) Get a perfectly fresh sheep’s head, and having taken out the tongue and brains soak it in tepid water. With a blunt knife break all the soft bones inside the head, and take care most thoroughly to cleanse it. Put it into a saucepan, with enough water to cover it and a tablespoonful of salt. To ensure perfect cleanliness, when it has boiled 5 minutes take the head out and pour away this water. Put the head on again to boil with 2 qts. water, and 6 onions, 2 turnips and carrots, pepper and salt. Let it boil gently for 3-4 hours, or until so tender the meat will readily slip from the bones; having taken them all out carefully, place the meat of the head on a hot dish, and pour over it either a good onion, parsley, or caper sauce. Or take all the vegetables cooked with the head, rub them to a purée through a sieve, have ready a little good butter sauce made with milk, nicely season it, mix the purée, pour over the meat, and serve. The broth is very good with the addition of a little celery and chopped parsley, and may be served either with or without the vegetables cooked with it. A slight thickening of corn flour is liked by most persons. Excellent soup of any kind may be made of this broth, and an economical one by merely boiling a few bacon bones in it with any other bones or scraps. Chapman’s wheat flour makes a cheap thickening for plain soups, and tapioca is very good and nourishing.
(c) Steep the head for 2-3 hours, then split it, take out the brains and tongue, boil the head gently for 3 hours with a few carrots, onions, a stick of celery, a bundle of sweet herbs, a few cloves, whole pepper and salt to taste, then breadcrumb, and brown the head slightly in front of the fire. Mince the lights, cut the liver in slices, and fry them; boil the brains in a piece of muslin. In dishing up, put the mince on a dish, then the head opened out, the tongue cut in slices, the brains divided into four, and the slices of liver ranged artistically all round; judicious seasoning is essential.
(d) To singe.—The way in which this is done in Scotland is by heating an iron bar of any kind red hot (a poker would do quite well), and singeing all the wool off the head with it; 2 pieces of iron would save time, one to replace the other as it cools, but the operation does not take long. A piece of stick is put up the nostrils to hold the head steady by. When there is a smith’s forge convenient, the singeing is generally done there, as it would make an unpleasant smell in a house; but if there is none near, any outhouse would do. The head must be soaked and washed in cold water before boiling.
Sheep’s heart.—(a) Place them in boiling water for a few minutes, as it prevents the greasy taste after eating them, stuff with ordinary veal stuffing (suet, herbs, breadcrumbs, lemon, and an egg), place in a pan and bake for 1 hour, and serve on toast with gravy.