Procure a head with as much of the neck attached to it as possible,
singe it well, holding it over a charcoal fire, and keeping it moved,
then wipe it with a cloth, scrape well with a knife without scratching
the skin, and place it on a cloth upon its skull, open it with your
knife from one end to the other, and bone it very carefully without
piercing the skin, leaving no flesh whatever upon the bones, bone the
two necks of the boar, which cut into long fillets two inches square,
place the head in a salting-tub, over which put ten pounds of salt, one
of brown sugar, ten bay-leaves, half an ounce of peppercorns, a quarter
ditto of cloves, six blades of mace, eight minced onions, twenty sprigs
of thyme, ten ditto of winter savoury, and two sliced carrots; mix all
well together and leave it eight or ten days, (rubbing the head every
other day,) until well salted, then take it out, dry it well upon a
cloth, lay the head straight before you, skin side downwards, have ready
ten pounds of forcemeat (No. 120,) (but using the flesh of the wild boar
instead of veal,[9]) with which cover the interior of the head an inch
in thickness at the thinnest parts, roll the fillets cut from the neck
in pieces of the rind, (both salted with the head and dried upon a
cloth,) place a layer of them lengthwise in the head, with a long piece
of fat bacon half an inch square between each, sprinkle a little chopped
eschalots, pepper, salt, and grated nutmeg over, and place here and
there about a pound of the best preserved truffles, with one of very
green pistachios blanched and skinned, and continue filling with
forcemeat and the other ingredients until you have used the whole,
finishing by covering forcemeat over; join the two cheeks together with
the above in the interior, sew it up with packthread giving it the shape
of the head as much as possible and fold it in one or two large thin
cloths leaving the ears out and upright; braise as follows: put half a
pound of butter in a large braising-pan or stock-pot, over which put
fifteen pounds of trimmings of pork or knuckles of veal, eight onions,
two carrots, four turnips, eight bay-leaves, a tablespoonful of
peppercorns, twelve cloves, ten sprigs of thyme, ten of marjoram, four
blades of mace, a bottle of bucellas wine, and four calves’ feet, place
it upon a sharp fire stirring it occasionally until the bottom is
covered with a clearish glaze, then add six gallons of water and a pound
of salt, when boiling draw it to the corner of the stove, skim, and put
in the head the ears uppermost and let simmer seven or eight hours,
perhaps more, according to the size and age of the boar, but the better
plan would be to try it with a trussing-needle; if tender it is done;
skim the stock, in which leave the head until half cold, when take it
out, partly undo the cloths, and tie it again tighter if possible, and
press it in a cover or upon a baking sheet with three flat pieces of
wood, one at each side with a weight against them, and one upon the top
between the ears, on which place a fourteen pounds weight, let it remain
all night until quite cold, when take it out of the cloths, detach the
thread it was sewn up with, cut a piece an inch in thickness from behind
the ears, (from which part it must be carved in as thin slices as
possible,) it will have a marbled appearance, trim the head a little,
setting the ears in a proper position, glaze it with a brownish glaze,
form the eyes with a little lard and round pieces of truffles, and the
tusks with pâté d’office (No. 1137) baking them, have some very fresh
tulips and roses, which stick tastefully in the ears and some around,
but leaving space to carve, garnish boldly with croutons aspic made from
the stock clarified as directed (No. 1360).
A black hog’s head may be dressed exactly the same with the greatest
success; pig’s heads also, but more simplified, proceeding as for
galantine (No. 998), but having the meat pickled.
A plain pickled boar’s head is also very much thought of, and is a noble
dish: singe the head as before, but leaving a few bristles round the
eyes and ears, tie it up in a cloth, and braise as before until quite
tender. It must not be boned.
The head of the young boar or marcassin is very delicate dressed in
either method, so likewise are the legs, necks, shoulders and saddles,
pickled and roasted, or braised and served with a poivrade or any other
highly-seasoned sauce, cotelettes may also be cut from the necks.
The following is the German method of making a sauce to be eaten with
boar’s head: cut the rind (free from pith) of two Seville oranges into
very thin strips half an inch in length, which blanch in boiling water,
drain them upon a sieve and put them into a basin, with a spoonful of
mixed English mustard, four of currant jelly, a little pepper, salt,
(mix well together,) and half a pint of good port wine.