Reminiscing on the highlights of our recent French trip, to celebrate our Granddaughter’s second Birthday, the funniest moment (from my point-of-view) was a meal enjoyed at a local restaurant. Son-in-law kindly translated the menu and Mr Piglet chose the veal option. When his meal arrived, it looked the strangest cut of veal I’d ever seen. Served in slices it resembled a patchwork of greasy meat textures surrounded by a layer of gooey fat.
Mr P poked and prodded the offering; tasted it, pulled a face then pushed his plate away.
“This is not veal,” he sulked.
“Yes, it’s veal’s head,” announced our son-in-law as he inspected then tasted said offering. “Look this part here’s the brain…”
He would have continued, but at this point I shook my head in warning. Mr P was turning various shades of puce green, and about to bolt for the door.
I’m curious, has anyone else eaten veal’s head without realizing?
If you’re curious here’s a link to a picture: http://www.goodfoodrevolution.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/tete-de-veau.jpeg
Better still if any of my French followers have a picture I could post, I will give you full photo credit and a link back to your blog.
Because boy in this case, a picture saves a 1000 words.
Piglet in Portugal 
Just back from France. We stayed in Menerbes at a small hotel. The hotel restaurant had a new chef and tete a tete avec coarse sauce was on the menu. I have stayed there before and loved the food. This is not really typical of French offerings. Our server really pushed this entre, and she was sweetly animated in her desire to express the greatness of this dish and others. Stand firm, be careful what you order. There were limited options on the menu which is often the case in France. At 45E for a complete dinner you can select, soup, entre, desert. I had breem which was good one night and chicken another night, French food is always an adventure, just be careful what you order.
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I can’t believe your granddaughter is two…how does time fly so fast??? And I am there with your hubby on the meat thing…just saying.
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So gross – I eat anything but I’m not sure I would even attempt this one!
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Hell no – never have and never will. I clicked on the link and involuntarily screamed. I feel for poor Mr. Piglet. 😐
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It is pretty yuck. I think it was the only day I never took my camera…
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I think I turned puce green and bolted for the door here where I am upon reading this, lol.
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Hi Annie,
Just the thought of that meal still makes my trotters twitch!
PiP
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I’m sure it does!
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Even thinking of eating it makes me feel queasy. Poor Mr Piglet
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He’s scarred for life!
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That is one nasty looking meal. Yuck! Poor Mr. P. The strange and odd dishes of different cultures never ceases to amaze me. I hope Mr. P ordered him a different more appetizing dish to enjoy. I guess it’s one of those times when you count it as a learning experience and it made for a dandy of a blog post. 😆
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Hi EC, unfortunately Mr. P had to go without his dinner. He ate some of our granddaughters as the restaurants idea of a kid’s meal was raw steak and potatoes 🙂
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Definitely a YUCK from me (the veggie) too!
I suppose if you have to eat meat you should use the whole animal. I guess the word tete should have been a clue.
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Yep, but Mr Piglet did not read the menu, otherwise he would have twigged 🙂 He won’t be caught out again like that!
I rarely eat meat now…
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I’m with Elyse: ewww. I enjoy trying different dishes and cuisines, but head meat isn’t on the list.
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Hi Linda, it’s good to keep and open mind…but not too open…
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I think I would have the same reaction as Mr P. Not too well translated it seems…
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Hi Sami, I think SIL was getting his own back. A little bit of son-in-law and father-in-law bonding. 🙂 not… perhaps it’s the French sense of humour
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My French husband had eaten this dish years ago – says it’s good and describes it as a sort of cooked pate. One meal he won’t be getting at home 🙂
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Cooked Paté OMG….I’ll never be able to face pate again!
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I know – me too 🙂
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Fortunately I have never been served tête de veau in my 37 years in France! My only knowledge of it is in the expression “Parisien tête de chien, Parigot tête de veau”, Parigot being a derogatory word used by people in the French provinces for Parisians who think they’re a cut above everyone else. I now understand why its such an insult!
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Hi Rosemary,and welcome! I think if Mr Piglet had heard the words “tête de chien” we would have both been running for the hills!
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Just back going down the list of posts I have answered: have looked at a plate of beautiful food, really special, on the link and I am simply shaking my head: why all the adverse comments? When I first came to Australia, just about every family had pairs of lambs brains for dinner once a week [like having fish on Fridays: amen!]! OK, because we know how much ‘bad’ cholesterol brains contain, we also limit the amount we eat – but surely they are absolutely delicious! What . . . 😀 ?
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Ewwww.
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YUCK!!! I would have turned green too . . .
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Mr Piglet is still in shock
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Yes, surely have had it but fully knowing what I was eating 🙂 ! Love the taste, but that is not the healthiest part of the animal, and I adore veal not only for its flavour but its ‘medicinal’ qualities compared to older beef etc 🙂 ! The same part makes such a lovely brawn too if you do not want to use a pig’s head!
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Hi Eha, please never invite me to dinner 🙂 I don’t mind normal veal, but rarely eat read meat now.
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Taking geography into account I am hardly likely to have the privilege and I cook basically Asian and Middle Eastern/African, not classic French cuisine of which this is a delightful example 😀 !
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Gross! I tasted it once at my mother-in-law’s and it was like eating a nasty glob of fat. Not to mention they serve it with some kind of mayonnaise sauce with capers. I love French food but this kind of stuff I can’t get on board with. It makes me lose my appetite. Could be a new weight loss technique. lol! 😉
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Oh, PIP!!! How awful for Mr. Piglet!
I’m eating my evening meal while reading your blog on my phone. I don’t think I dare click on the link and look at a picture right now, while I’m eating. Ha ha! Perhaps I’ll get up courage later. (…or perhaps not!) I hope Mr. P had enjoyable cuisine for the rest of his visit to France! 🙂
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Hi LTL, we only ate out once after that…and that was for a pizza 🙂 Take courage and have a peek
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I’ve tasted it and it’s gross. It’s like eating a mass of fat and then they top it off with some mayonnaise type sauce with apers. Absolutely revolting! I love French cuisine but I just can’t get into sweet meats and innards, etc. It makes me lose my appetite. Now that’s a good way to lose weight. lol! 🙂
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Hi Deidre, it’s certainly the food of your worst nightmare!
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