Calf’s foot jelly

Print recipe

Calves' feet can be difficult to find in conventional butchers shops, but can be purchased in suburbs that cater for Korean and Chinese communities, such as Campsie or Ashfield in Sydney. More than just the hoof, a calf's 'foot' can be up to 30 cm long, and as they are nearly all bone, ask the butcher to cut each one into three or four pieces so they'll fit into a domestic pot (albeit a large one!).

Making gelatine this traditional way is at least a two-day process.

Ingredients

4 calves' feet (each cut into three or four pieces)
2 egg whites, whipped until frothy
2 eggshells (crushed)

Cooking the calves

Place the calves' feet pieces into a lidded stockpot or large saucepan and add just enough water to cover. Cook, partially covered, on a medium heat to maintain a strong simmer for about 2 hours.

Clarifying process

Strain the extracted liquid through a sieve lined with muslin or clean kitchen cloth, discarding any solids. Refrigerate the liquid for several hours or overnight to allow any fat to rise to the surface.
Skim off as much of the oily layer as possible using a large metal spoon. You will be left with a dense jellied mass which then needs to be clarified.

Combine the beaten egg whites with the crushed eggshells and place the mixture in a medium sized saucepan with the calf’s foot extract over a low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10–15 minutes. As the liquid simmers the impurities are drawn into the egg white and eggshell mixture.

Skim the surface of the liquid carefully and strain the jelly through fine muslin, discarding any solids. Refrigerate until set. The jelly should be able to hold its form quite strongly; if it is still liquid, reduce by boiling it on the stove to the desired concentration.

Making the jelly

Melt the 'solid' jelly in a pan over low heat and strain again through a dampened linen tea towel or muslin, using a very fine strainer. The clear jelly is now ready to flavour for use in any recipe calling for jelly - usually this would be with some white wine, orange blossom water or lemon juice. The jelly would be coloured with natural food dyes such as spinach, beetroot juice or a saffron infusion.

Have you tried this recipe?

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http://www.hht.net.au Sandra Lee

I can see a TV show coming soon – great work you two!
http://www.mgnsw.org.au Tamara Lavrencic

Congratulations Scott and Jacqui and all the rest of the HHT staff involved in putting this blog up. I’ve bookmarked it and look forward to the monthly updates. What a great way to bring some of the history relating to historic houses and the people that lived in them to life,
Kim Caldwell

Just arrived home from Tasmania where we have been steeped in colonial history to find your fabulous blog. Congratulations, it looks really great, and I look forward to future editions. Not sure I will try the calves foot jelly though!
http://www.herbies.com.au Ian Hemphill

Congratulations Jacqui & Scott. What a great way to educate us about our rich colonial history from a food point of view. I am looking forward to more insights into our tasty past!
Dave Key

So can I Sandra! Congrats to all involved – this is fantastic! I can’t wait to see what you have to present at the other sites.
Mikhaila

We have ‘shelly mortar’ at the Barracks as well!
- ondinee
  
  Hi Mikhaila – thanks for reminding us! Maybe we need a picture for the blog?
http://www.robincowcher.com.au Robin Cowcher

What a lovely site Scott, I look forward to having a good peruse. best Robin
Barbara Konkolowicz

Hi Jacqui & Scott, love your new blog. Congratulations to everyone involved! Barb
Barbara Konkolowicz

I loved this description of the reinvention of Christmas in the colony and the photos of decorations from E Farm and VH, plus loads of information and inspiration. (Author, author!). I’m rushing off to my garden to find materials with which to decorate my fireplaces. Happy Christmas to you both!
Gary Crockett

Congratulations Jacqui, Scott and Co – loving the blog, the clever videos, the crazy recipes and the fresh take on old places – keep it up.
Kim Archibald

Hi Jacqui
I can remember my mother making numerous Christmas cakes and Christmas puddings in cloths in the weeks before Christmas. She would cut all the fruit by hand and then have a weekend of cooking so that the puddings and cakes could mature before Christmas Day. We all had to have a stir of the pudding mixture and make a wish before putting them in the cloths tieing them up and letting them hang after par cooking them in a bg boiler on the stove. On Christmas day the puddings were then recooked for ages on the stove and served hot with custard
This was always our first indication (apart from advertising) that Christmas was on it’s way.
- The Cook
  
  Hi Kim, a treasured memory to have – I hope you’re keeping up the tradition, perhaps not to your Mum’s volume but at least for your own nearest and dearest. Best festive wishes, Jacqui
Barbara Konkolowicz

Delightful
Margaret Wallace

Congratulations Scott on this excellent blog- both interesting and beautifully presented.
Colleen Morris

When I was growing up in the 1950s-60s there was always a young eucalypt sapling cut and tied to the small porch at the back door entrance of my grandparents house in country NSW at Xmas. As the sapling was always fresh on Xmas day I am not sure how many other families followed this practice.
Ineke Henskens

Thank you to the contributors of this blog – I am really enjoying reading each instalment and learning more about the domestic side of Australian history.
Libby

Hi there,
I am interested in the make of the old wood stove in the kitchen at Elizabeth Farm. Do you know what it is?
Many thanks,
Libby
http://www.cookiejarcupcakes.com Louise

I have this book and love it. A true labour of love by Mrs E, even if she does hide a sting in a tail or 2. I cannot imagine how long it would have taken to write such a letter!
Thank you for a lovely blog, only recently found but treasured already!
The Curator

We’ve been asked about the make of the blue and white crested Macarthur dinner service: it’s by the English manufacturer Chamberlain, which operated in the porcelain center of Worcester from 1783-1851. The base is marked ‘Chamberlains / Worcester’. A set in the same pattern as the Macarthur service, minus the added crest (a laurel wreath with the motto Fide et Opera – ‘Faith and Works’), is typically on display at Elizabeth Bay House in the breakfast room, while additional pieces can be seen on the dresser in the Butlers Pantry. The gilt ‘snowflake’ decoration in the center of the plate is missing from most of those plates and bowls, worn away by many years of use.
Bruce Baskerville

Green bananas are used in some curry dishes on Norfolk Island – the cooking usually brings out a sweetness in the banana pieces, and being green they hold together, but they can also quite bland. The islanders use them as a vegetable in this way, and they usually add a nice texture even if sometimes tasteless.
The Curator

Hi Bruce,
I wonder if they’re plantains, which are best cooked when they’re green? Do you remember them as being larger than everyday bananas? On my kitchen table at home right now I actually have some plantains that I’m going to try cooking for the first time. I’m thinking in a curry, so any tips gratefully received!
Cheers, Scott
The Cook

HI Bruce, the early journals often make reference to harvesting the wild (therefore native?) bananas on Norfolk. I doubt the convicts were making curries, but they certainly would have provided valuable nutrients and welcomed variety to their diet. sadly, no references as to how they were prepared – cooked in with rice or added to stews? Roasted in their skins? It’d be fun to experiment with them.
Thanks for responding to the story! Jacqui
- Bruce Baskerville
  
  In Norf’k language bananas are called ‘plan’ or ‘plun’, presumably an abbreviation of plantain, although some people distinguish between plun and plantain. They aren’t native to the island, but were taken there by Polynesians about 600-800 years ago. Lt Gov King found them growing in Arthurs Vale in 1788, but I haven’t noticed how they ate them then (raw or cooked). The islanders today use them in all sorts of ways, I have some Norfolk cook books with banana/plan recipes. The plan today are much smaller than you get on the mainland, usually with lots of blotches and blemishes on the skin, various shades of green and yellow skins, sometimes red, and a beautiful sweet taste and creamy texture when ripe, much nicer than the great big bright yellow ones you get here that leave an unpleasant film on your teeth! One of my favourite island ways was little pancakes or pikelets into which slices of ripe plun were pushed while cooking, and then served hot with honey and/or porpay jelly (made from wild red guavas) – delicious with coffee, and probably not from the convict period!
  - The Cook
    
    Ok Bruce, enough! you’ve got us salivating! Clearly a trip to Norfolk Island is required to investigate the local fare. I’m very sure pancakes would have been on the colonists menu at least occasionally, cooked on shovels probably! As there was no sugar in their rations, the fruit would have provided a rare opportunity for a sweet treat.
    Perhaps they had them with ‘coffee’ too – the early colonists made a mock coffee by roasting wheat grains – a process still used today in some caffeine free coffee alternatives. I’ll stick with tea!
    cheers, Jacqui
The Curator

Hi Libby,
here’s your answer, and a bit of the kitchen’s background.
Sir Edward Macarthur who inherited Elizabeth Farm, died in 1872, but left a life interest in the property to his wife Sarah. At that stage it was tenanted to Thomas Icely. From 1875 to 1881 – when the property was sold – it was leased by William Billyard. When he moved in he complained (and quite rightly we say!) that there was no cooking range in the kitchen. The range visitors see today, restored and functioning, may have been installed by the Swann family after they purchased Elizabeth Farm in 1904. It was manufactured by the Sydney firm Lassetter and Company. The Swann sisters continued to use the kitchen until 1968, when they sold the house to the Elizabeth Farm Museum Trust. The Elizabeth Farm kitchen is in its own freestanding building, which was a common precaution in colonial houses and for good reason – the original kitchen burnt down in 1805!
You can see a photo of the range here and a close up here.
Gary Crockett

Hey Scott Hill – great pic of the Macarthur Institute sheep, with or without the spots. I don’t think there’s any doubt that John Macarthur was the ‘man of the moment’ back in 1804-5 and that if he hadn’t fronted up to the old cranky pants Joseph Banks with his self serving bravado and plans for New South Wales then things would have panned out differently for the colony (and us I guess) for better or worse who’s ta say…
ondinee

See our follow-up post: Shelly mortar – part 2 for the Hyde Park Barracks photo mentioned above.
alyshab

When I think about what collared eel must look like, I imagine a box of starched detachable collars! You can see a great example here.
Veronica

Wonderful commentary and such a great, interesting and informative web site.
Thank you
Bruce Baskerville

It would be good to recreate that dinner (as much as its possible) on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend this year, the 225th anniversary. Some ‘good old English porter’ would be a treat!

Lt Gov King on Norfolk Island noted in his journal (4th June 1788) that “At sunrise hoisted up the colours, in observance of the anniversary of His Majesties Birth Day and gave each of the people some liquor to drink His Majesties health and at their request excused them from any work in the afternoon”. He doesn’t say more about food that day, but entries either side of the day show they were planting plantain suckers (taken from the rivulet, now Windmill Creek), bananas and limes (that he had brought with him) in ‘the plantation’ (in Arthurs Vale), clearing ground and sowing wheat of the north east side of the hill (presumably Mt George, now Flagstaff Hill), and sending the boat out to fish on days when the weather allowed (they caught 30 fish on the 5th, species not stated, on the 15th the boat overturned and one man drowned). The weather on the Birth Day was “Fresh gales and cloudy”. Entries close to this day record that he had only a few casks each of meat, bread and flour left, and put the men on to a 2/3 ration (women remained on their original allowance – which was 2/3 of the men’s allowance). The next day (5th June) the people were ‘served’ 1/2 their allowance of pork, and 1 peck (about 4 kgs?) of wheat, and then two days later (7th June) 2 pecks of wheat each (although this last entry may be seed wheat for sowing?). Not sure what the bread was in the casks – perhaps ship’s biscuit?
- The Cook
  
  Life at Norfolk was far less colourful than at Sydney. With so few ‘residents’ – exiles might be a better term – it must have seemed so terribly remote and cut off from anyone and anything. You’d have to wonder what accursed luck you had to end up there, and then to cap it off, food shortages were a way of life, most severely chronic in 1789 and 1790, in both settlements. They did enjoy the odd turtle though – highly esteemed in those days and the focus of a future blog post – of course the seasonal ‘mutton’ birds.
  
  About the bread – it could well have been ‘ship’s biscuit’ if it was 1788, only a few months after settlement. A bakery for ‘the public’ was in operation very quickly at Sydney, with its own dedicated bakers, but I doubt the same in Norfolk with only thirty or so colonists. So yes, the wheat was probably for sowing, and once the crops were established & harvested the grain would have to be ground using hand mills, which would have been no easy task. No ‘Wonder-white’ in those days – but very high in fibre and naturally low GI – but I’m sure this wasn’t seen as a benefit of any kind.
  
  thanks for the evocative quotes Bruce, Jacqui
http://www.facebook.com/louise.lathouwers Louise Lathouwers

Thanks for the breakdowns in grams- will definitely incorporate that info into our convict kitchen displays. I have a kit of those rations (in correct weights) to help people get a better understanding of what the numbers on a page mean. On Aus Day one gentleman thought it was quite a generous ration, much to my surprise. Soon figured out he thought that was the daily ration
- The Cook
  
  HI, your convict kitchen display sounds like a great idea – I’ll have to come up and see it! It is rather hard to equate when just reading it as an allowance list. cheers, Jacqui
  - http://www.facebook.com/louise.lathouwers Louise Lathouwers
    
    At the Redcoats and Convicts day at the HPB it looks extra good thanks to the Vaucluse house vege donations I now have 1 garden bed with Vaucluse melons and rosellas thanks to seed saving after the event!
Anne Gregory

Scott fascinated to see your work, must return next time we are in Sydney town, blast from the past Anne and Michael Gregory
Bruce

Amitav Ghosh’s “River of Smoke’ (2011) has some great descriptions of the painting workshops in Canton in the early 19th century, working on paper, and also producing fine paintings of Chinese flowers and plants for botanical collectors in Europe, and scenes and other subjects for orders received from Europe.
Phil

For a summer cocktail elderflower cordial makes a delicious substitute for vermouth in a gin martini. The ready made cordial can sometimes be tricky to find so I’ll have to try this recipe.
- The Cook
  
  I’ve been taking advantage of the last of the season’s stone fruit, and added a splash of elderflower cordial (undiluted) to a pot of poached peaches, instead of the more heavy-handed vanilla or cinnamon. Divine!
jaki

Absolutely fascinating. Will visit next time I’m in Syd & will suggest that family there do so.
jaki

Oh for the poor masses if Ellis felt the food of not a high enough standard!
http://www.facebook.com/louise.lathouwers Louise Lathouwers

It is a beautiful memorial. Wish I could have been there on St Patrick’s Day.
http://www.facebook.com/louise.lathouwers Louise Lathouwers

I have my very own melon ripening on the vine right now, grown from seeds saved from a Vaucluse House melon! And the chooks are enjoying getting in under the vine and laying there rather than in the nest box.
Kylie Willison

I love this blog because you never fail to come up with such interesting posts!!
Anna

My Mum used to make a variation of the ‘sea pie’ using minced meat as the stew and then topping it with a scone dough lid. It was fantastic and fed a family of 7 kids!
Roberta Fassina

Hi Jacqui and Scott

I was so inspired by the jam making session at Elizabeth Farm, and although I haven’t seen those lovely old books you brought that day, I did buy Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Dariana Allen. I’ve also been making jams, jellies and chutney, and next is membrillo! I also have a medlar in my front yard which is fruiting right now. I have yet to discover its uses!

Roberta Fassina, Toongabbie. HHT member
Margaret

Having lost my mother at 19 in Canberra, by the time our first baby was born, it was 1975 in Surrey, England, eight or so years later. I relied almost solely for advice upon her old copy of` ` Mrs Beeton`s Household Management `, and despite the entertaining ideas about decorating a nursery, ( and also cooking Australian native wildlife ! ) , it was clear that some things NEVER CHANGE ! Thank you, Isabella ! You saved the day then, and again back in Australia, by providing a recipe for `steak and kidney pudding ` for British Grandad`s birthday one year.
Sandra

Lovely start to Meroogal. Bob’s Pudding was a hit at home esp with a big blob of cream!
margaret

Greek biscuits are about to be made…
Im loving the blog and learning lots, thankyou!

Margaret
Anna

Looking forward to the month of Meroogal posts! I’m sure they’ll be fabulous and delicious.
Gary Crockett

early risers and all that ‘invisible’ housework eh… I hope those afternoon visitors didn’t stay too late
http://www.facebook.com/louise.lathouwers Louise Lathouwers

Reminds me of the scene in Like Water For Chocolate (? I think that’s right) where the cook cries into the wedding cake and everybody becomes overwhelming sad for lost love upon eating it! Did you get teary giggles eating Anna’s bread?
- The Cook
  
  Its been a while since I read that book – must revisit it!
http://www.facebook.com/louise.lathouwers Louise Lathouwers

With all our popping down the shop, it is easy to forget that eggs are really a seasonal food. Preserving them to last even part way through winter would have been vital. These days I just make a quiche and freeze it if the girls give too many not quite the same though
- The Cook
  
  HI Louise, it seems to be a catch-22 situation – while we question the processing methods we use to keep eggs in constant supply we forget that sometimes there just might not be any on hand. Hence the eggless puddings recipes during the war years… or indeed, in the Bobs pudding recipe. cheers, Jacqui
http://www.facebook.com/craig.coventry Craig Coventry

Yum!
The Curator

And not forgetting too that the average egg bought at the supermarket these days is a bit of a whopper compared to those used by the ‘Roogals and Rouses. You really notice this when you try and balance a modern boiled egg in an antique eggcup – they rarely sit with any stability and the scale looks decidedly odd. When Ive set a recreated breakfast table (such as at Elizabeth Bay House) I’ve often used blown eggs courtesy of the Rouse Hill chickens, which are Bantam eggs (the smaller Bantam breeds of chicken can be prodigious layers as you see in the photo above) and hence that bit smaller, and have slight variations in colour that you rarely see in a carton of eggs these days. Changes in egg size is just one factor that needs to be considered in designing recipes, or updating historic recipes.
M

These biscuits are so more-ish it’s dangerous… You have been warned.
Helen Bryant

Do you think this recipe is a variation on spotted dick? Perhaps fruit such as dried currants might be soaked overnight in tea to give a flavour.some addition to the rather basic ingrdients. This type of pudding could be made by folk out camping or away from a kitchen.
- The Cook
  
  HI Helen, yes, I do think this one of many variations on what has become the ‘ubiquitous’ English boiled pudding. In Australia it seems we’ve only clung to the rich Christmas plum pudding and opted for boiled fruit cakes over puddings like spotted Dick – a concession to our climate I suspect. I soak my Christmas pudding fruit in Lady Grey tea – not a very traditional blend but delightfully aromatic. I reckon good old fashioned black English breakfast tea would be more appropriate for Bob’s pudding – in keeping with the austerity theme – even in hard times, a pot of tea would bring cheer.
  If you try it out, please send us a note or a pic – especially if you make it in a camp oven!
Cheryl

Thanks Scott for showing this very special image. It’s not only at a certain time of day but only a few months of the year. We love it.
- The Cook
  
  Aren’t these quirks of light and reflection fantastic! Late each winter we get a beautiful rainbow cast through our dining room and into the kitchen – it never fails to produce a feeling of wonder. It’s quite reminiscent of the winter solstice phenomenon at Elizabeth Bay House – has to be seen to really appreciate – which if you’re willing to get up early enough, there’s a special breakfast event this June 21st (details on the Sydney Living Museums website). Jacqui
The Cook

How lucky are we?!! Having frocked up for the Rouse costume collection Bethany’s now donned an apron to help us in the kitchen! We’re so lucky to have had such enthusiastic support from Volunteers and Interns, bringing their skills and passion, adding extra flavour to our projects and helping us keep our many pots on the boil. many thanks to you Bethany, Jacqui

Sydney Living Museums