How to Cook a Sheep's Head . . .

Recipe from Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, 1859.

(My British friend, and mutton lover, loaned me this old book.
It’s a frightening look at what it was like to live over a hundred years ago in England. Needless to say, I won’t be serving this at any of my dinners.)

To Dress a Sheep’s Head.

742. INGREDIENTS.—1 sheep’s head, sufficient water to cover it, 3 carrots, 3 turnips, 2 or 3 parsnips, 3 onions, a small bunch of parsley, 1 teaspoonful of pepper, 3 teaspoonfuls of salt, ¼ lb. of Scotch oatmeal.

Mode.--- Clean the head well, and let it soak in warm water for 2 hours, to get rid of the blood; put it into a saucepan, with sufficient cold water to cover it, and when it boils, add the vegetables, peeled and sliced, and the remaining ingredients; before adding the oatmeal, mix it to a smooth batter with a little of the liquor. Keep stirring till it boils up; then shut the saucepan closely, and let it stew gently for 1 ½ or 2 hours. It may be thickened with rice or barley, but oatmeal is preferable.
Time.---1 ½ or 2 hours. Average cost, 8d. each.
Sufficient for 3 persons.
Seasonable at any time.