Elizabeth Ist coat of arms

Calves Head with Oisters Old Elizabethan Recipe

Queen Elizabeth Ist

"Queen Elizabeth Ist"

To rost a Calves Head with Oisters
Split your Calves Head as to boil, and let it lie in water a while, then wash it well, and cut out the Tongue, then boil your Head a little, also the Tongue and Brains, then mince the Brains and Tongue with a little Sage, Oisters and Marrow put amongst it when it is minced, three or four Eggs well beaten, Ginger, Pepper, Nutmeg, Grated Bread and Salt, and a little Sack, make it pretty thick.

Take the Head and fill it with this, and bind it close, and spit it and rost it, and save the Gravie which comes from it in a Dish, baste it well with Butter, put to this Gravie some Oisters, and some sweet Herbs minced fine, a little white Wine, and a sliced Nutmeg; when the Head is rosted, set the Dish of Sauce upon hot Coals with some Butter and a little salt, and the Juice of an Orange, beat it up thick and Dish your Head, and serve it in with this Sauce; garnish your Dish with stewed Oisters and Barberries.

Calves Head with Oisters Old Elizabethan Recipe
The above Old recipe is taken from for Calves Head with Oisters is written in totally different way to today's recipe books.

  • There were no lists of ingredients - these were included as part of the text
  • Food and ingredient measurements were extremely basic - quantities were not often specified.
  • Temperature control was difficult and therefore not specified.
  • Cooking times were vague - and left to the cook to decide.
  • It was assumed that the reader would already have some knowledge of cooking

Elizabethan Era - Free Educational Resource. Author Referencing Information

The contents of www.elizabethan-era.org.uk are subject to Copyright Laws - the name of the Website Author is Linda Alchin. The referencing protocol is suggested as follows:

Alchin, L.K.
Elizabethan Era
e.g. Retrieved Aug 1 2016 from www.elizabethan-era.org.uk

The content of Elizabethan Era is free but solely for educational purposes. Reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.". We would respectfully direct our visitors to our Elizabethan Era Copyright page and Elizabethan Era Privacy Statement regarding the Terms of Use of this history site, both may be accessed from the links provided at the bottom of this page.

Privacy Statement

Cookie Policy

© 2017 Siteseen Ltd