Koock-boeck oft Familieren kevken-boeck : leerende hoe datmen alderhande vleesch, vogelen, ... (1655) - Page 24

again.

How one shall boil a Calf’s breast.

Take the breast, if possible, immediately after the calf is slaughtered or killed, so that it remains whiter, and wash it only once in cold water, then put it to the fire, less or more as is told in the preceding chapter; as soon as it is sufficiently boiled, take it out of the broth, for the broth makes it soft; when it is boiled, serve it thus to the table. A green sauce as mentioned before serves for this, or some red sauce of grapes as before. In this same manner one shall boil other parts of the calf; just pay close attention to the skimming, for that makes a great difference. And especially the belly pieces are wonderfully good in this way: but one fills them first with some grated cheese, or instead of that, some grated white bread, beaten eggs, pepper, cinnamon, saffron, and green herbs finely chopped. The belly piece

can be prepared in many ways: some, after it is boiled, cut it into small pieces and fry them in butter with onions finely chopped; some add apples to it, some do not; even if one adds no sweetness to it, one puts juice of oranges over it and some pepper, or with other small sauces or verjuys sour fruit juice alone. Some take the belly and cut it into three or four pieces and lay them on the gridiron after they are boiled, and let them get some color on both sides from the fire, and then serve them warm with some sugar over it, and juice of oranges. And in these ways one shall be able to prepare other pieces of the calf, likewise mutton:

Various sorts of fillings, to fill all kinds of food that one wishes to boil.

Before I begin to speak more broadly of these fillings, I must admonish all Netherlandish ladies that they do not disdain the cheese that goes into them, for even if it is the case that in many excellent houses it is not the custom to prepare any food or pottages with cheese, it is nevertheless praised by many and held for the best. Just taste it once: if it does not please you, if you do not like it, send it home to me, I will eat it myself. And do not say, this is in the Spanish style, that is in the Italian style, I cannot do it, I will not cook it. Let it also be in the Indian style, what do you care, if it is good? These fillings should be made this way,