Ingredients. - One sheep's head. Salt. Four pepper-corns. Two turnips. One carrot. One onion. One-half a small head of celery. One sprig of thyme. Two sprigs of parsley. Toasted crusts of bread. Half an ounce of flour. One ounce of clarified dripping, or half an ounce of butter.

Time required (after the sheep's head has been soaked for two hours), one hour and a half

To cook Sheep's Head:

1. Put in a basin of warm water a sheep's head (which has been chopped half-way through by a butcher), with a dessertspoonful of salt.

2. Wash the head thoroughly, remove the brains (which should be put aside), and all the splinters of the hones.

3. Wash all the blood and matter from the passages of the nose, throat, and ears, and clean round the gums.

N. B. - If this is not well done, the sheep's head will be spoiled.

4. Now put the sheep's head in a basin of salt and water, to soak for two hours.

5. After the head has been soaked, take it out of the water and cut out the tongue with a knife.

6. Tie the head together with a piece of string, to keep it in shape.

7. Put the head and tongue in a large saucepan.

8. Pour in sufficient lukewarm water to cover the head.

9. Add a good salt-spoonful of salt and four peppercorns.

N. B. - If liked, one ounce of pearl barley or rice, previously washed, may now be added.

10. Put the saucepan on the fire and let it boil very gently for one hour.

11. Watch it, and skim it occasionally with a spoon, removing as much of the fat as possible.

12. Take two turnips, wash them in cold water, peel them, and cut them in quarters with a sharp knife.

13. Take a carrot, scrape it clean with a knife, and cut it in pieces.

14. Take a good-sized onion, peel it, and cut it in quarters.

15. Take half a small head of celery and two sprigs of parsley, and wash them in cold water.

16. When the sheep's head has boiled for an hour, add all these vegetables.

17. Add also one sprig of thyme.

18. Now move the saucepan to the side of the fire, and let it simmer gently for one hour and a half.

N. B. - The lid should be on the saucepan.

19. Half an hour before the sheep's head is finished, wash the brains well in cold water (removing all the skin).

20. Tie the brains up in a piece of muslin and put them in the saucepan with the head, to boil for ten minutes.

21. Put one ounce of clarified dripping, or half an ounce of butter, into a small saucepan.

22. Put the saucepan on the fire, to melt the dripping, and then add half an ounce of flour, and mix them well together with a spoon.

23. Take one gill of broth from the saucepan in which the head is boiling, and add it by degrees to the sauce, stirring it as smoothly as possible until it boils and thickens.

24. Now move the saucepan to the side of the fire.

25. When the brains have boiled for ten minutes, take them out of the saucepan, take them out of the muslin, and chop them up in small pieces with a knife.

26. Add the brains to the sauce.

27. When the sheep's head is sufficiently cooked, take it out of the saucepan, cut away the string, and place it on a warm dish.

28. Take the tongue, skin it carefully, and place it on the same dish.

29. Take out the turnips, put them in a basin, and mash them with a fork.

30. Take out the carrot, and arrange it alternately with the mashed turnips round the sheep's head.

31. Take the brain-sauce and pour it over the sheep's head.

32. Pour the broth carefully into a basin, without the bread or vegetables.

N. B. - Bread or vegetables should never be kept in broth, as they would turn it sour.

33. Put the basin of broth away until required for use.

N. B. - All the fat should be removed from the broth before it is used. N. B. - When the broth is required for use, a few toasted crusts of bread might be added, and a little chopped parsley. N. B. - The fat from the broth should be melted down into dripping.

If the Sheep's Head be preferred browned:

1. Proceed as above (see from Note 1 to Note 17).

2. Then move the saucepan to the side of the fire, and let it simmer gently for one hour.

N. B. - The lid should be on the saucepan.

3. Take a piece of stale bread, and grate a tablespoon-ful of bread-crumbs with a grater.

4. Mix with these crumbs a teaspoonful of parsley and a teaspoonful of mixed herbs, chopped fine.

5. When the head has simmered for one hour, take it out of the saucepan.

6. Cut the string round it, and lay it on a dish.

7. Sprinkle the bread-crumbs and herbs over the head, and put a few tiny pieces of dripping on it.

8. Put the dish in the oven, or in front of the fire, for ten or fifteen minutes. It will then be ready for serving.

9. Take the brains and wash them well in cold water (removing all skin).

10. Tie them up in a piece of muslin and put them in the saucepan of broth (in which the sheep's head was boiled), to boil for ten minutes.

N. B. - For serving, the tongue should be skinned, as above, and served separately with the brain-sauce (see above, from Note 21 to Note 21).

11. Proceed with the broth the same as above, from Note 32.