[Sca-cooks] Boar's Head: Was Kitchen Tips

[Elise Fleming]

Talana wrote:
 
>When preparing a boar's head for the head table:
> 
>If you want to endore it, use a WHITE pig's head. 
>Black pig + egg yolk = green! 
> 
>To remove the bristles, do NOT scald and pluck/scrape - 
>it works on the animal's back, but not the head. Use a propane 
>torch to singe them off. Do this outside. Please.
 
Oddly enough, I just read about a preparation for a boar's head in Peter
Brears' new book "Cooking and Dining in Medieval England" (pp 167-171).  It
is a thorough description of the process beginning 2-3 weeks before a
feast.  He suggests using a disposable razor for the bristles, BTW.  He's
got a full page of 11 drawings to show the entire process of scalding and
shaving the head, cutting through from throat to chin, exposing the skull,
removing the face and curing it with salt, sewing up all the orifices,
packing the head with forcemeat, etc.  He includes garnishing suggestions. 
I think this would be a "must read" for anyone planning to do something for
anyone... or for Gunthar!

Oh, yes... Devra at Poison Pen Press has the book.  Amazon _still_ doesn't
have it and it's been nearly 10 months.

Alys Katharine

Elise Fleming
alysk at ix.netcom.com
http://home.netcom.com/~alysk/