Chapter XV · Relevés and Entrées · No. 1213
1213—Tête de Veau en Tortue
With a round cutter one, two, or three in. in diameter, cut up the pieces of calf’s head, the meat of which must be entirely suppressed. For this preparation, only the skin of the head should be used.
Put the pieces of head in a timbale or on a dish, and cover them with a Tortue garnish.
Tortue garnish consists of: Small quenelles of veal forcemeat with butter; cock’s combs and kidneys; small mushrooms; stoned, stuffed and poached olives; slices of truffle; gherkins cut to the shape of olives (these should only be put into the sauce at the last moment); and Tortue sauce.
This garnish comprises, besides, among unsauced ingredients: Slices of tongue and calf’s brain; small, trussed crayfish, cooked in court-bouillon; fried eggs, the half of whose raw whites should be suppressed; and small croûtons of bread-crumb, fried in butter at the last moment.
Escoffier, A. (1907). A Guide to Modern Cookery, No. 1213, p. 405. London: William Heinemann. Translation of Le Guide Culinaire (1903).
Curious how this dish reads in a modern kitchen? See Chef Juliette’s version →