Sheep's head cooking

[merithyn]

Hey, so my lamb is going to slaughter on Wednesday, and I've been given first right of refusal on the heads of the two lambs going in. Do I want them? Is there a dish that I simply must have them for?

My mom hates lamb, so it's not something we had much as a kid, and she wouldn't have dreamt of touching the head. My older foster siblings regularly roasted whole goats, sheep, and pigs over a big pit for Easter, but I don't remember what they did with the heads, if anything. Most 'Muricans don't generally like to know that their food once walked, so I'm grasping for straws on whether or not I want them.

Thoughts?

[Zanza]

There were frozen sheep's heads in Icelandic supermarkets next to pizza etc. So I guess Legbiter could provide a traditional recipe.

[Eddie Teach]

You're taking this Welsh thing too far. 

[merithyn]

You're taking this Welsh thing too far. 

This isn't a Welsh thing. This is a "waste not/want not" thing.

[Norgy]

The traditional Norwegian way to serve sheep's head is to salt it, smoke it and hang it for a while. Like a month or so.

It's considered "traditional food". I can't help you with any recipe, meri, but I support your effort in using the whole of the animal. It's how it should be, really.

You could see if you find an English language recipe for "smalahove". Which is sheep's head.

[merithyn]

I actually found one of those. Not sure I could eat it that way, though. I also found a sheep's head broth that might actually be doable.

Have you eaten smalahove? Do you like it?

[Norgy]

Have you eaten smalahove? Do you like it?

No, I have just seen it. There's something about smalahove, lutefisk and rakfisk that I couldn't stand before. Now I am two for three.
It is supposedly a delicacy, and traditionally served with lots of beer and liquour.

I'd not be adverse to trying nowadays, though, as long as I can skip the booze.

You can always make good broth and soup out of (almost) any part of an animal.

[Martinus]

What the fuck?

You actually raised a lamb and now you are going to slaughter it? What are you? A nazi-in-training?

[Valmy]

What are you?

A person who has lived in the 10,000 or so years since sheep were domesticated?

Time to join us in the post-Mesolithic Era Marty.

[Legbiter]

There were frozen sheep's heads in Icelandic supermarkets next to pizza etc. So I guess Legbiter could provide a traditional recipe.

Yes.

Frozen sheep head's jelly. 

http://icelandreview.com/stuff/multimedia/2009/02/12/sheeps-head-jelly

Contains a helpful video clip on how to make it. I'll sometimes eat a pound of it for lunch.

[Norgy]

No wonder we expelled you guys.

[Liep]

There were frozen sheep's heads in Icelandic supermarkets next to pizza etc. So I guess Legbiter could provide a traditional recipe.

Yes.

Frozen sheep head's jelly. 

http://icelandreview.com/stuff/multimedia/2009/02/12/sheeps-head-jelly

Contains a helpful video clip on how to make it. I'll sometimes eat a pound of it for lunch.

We usually make it out of pig heads but I can imagine sheep head would also be delicious.

[Legbiter]

We usually make it out of pig heads but I can imagine sheep head would also be delicious.

It is. Especially the tongue. 

[Martinus]

We usually make it out of pig heads but I can imagine sheep head would also be delicious.

It is. Especially the tongue. 

Ok, Hannibal Lecter.

[merithyn]

We usually make it out of pig heads but I can imagine sheep head would also be delicious.

It is. Especially the tongue. 

I've already called dibs on the tongues. I have a 14th century English recipe to try on those.