The Epicure's Almanac or Diary of Good Living
November 7th : MOCK TURTLE SOUP
Parboil, in separate saucepans of a large size, and well filled with water, half a calf's head with the skin on, and half a pig's head. Skim the water constantly in which the first is boiling.
Take both out, cut the meat off in oblong squares, about an inch and a quarter long, and slice the tongues; put the bones of both into the liquor in which the calf's head has been boiled, with a table-spoonful of sweet herbs in powder, the juice of two lemons, and the peel of one, chopped fine, half a dozen cloves, a tablespoonful of mushroom powder, and a chalot chopped fine; let it all simmer slowly over the fire for a couple of hours.
Make a couple of dozen savoury forcemeat balls, and boil a dozen eggs very hard. Pour the liquor through a sieve at the expiration of the two hours, and let it be quite cold before you remove the fat and scum; the liquor ought to be in a jelly, but not too stiff a one.
Put this into a stewpan, with the meat, the forcemeat balls, the yolks of the eggs, a spoonful of salt, and a third of Cayenne, with half a pint of sherry. Stew for an hour and a half, and it will be fit for table.
This preparation, both in appearance and flavour, more closely resembles real Turtle than any other I have ever eaten.