Beef olives are an English meat dish consisting of slices of beef rolled and tied round a stuffing and braised in stock. Veal is sometimes used instead of beef, but the latter has been more common since the 18th century. Similar dishes are familiar in cuisines of other countries including France, Italy, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic.
 1732 recipe | |
| Alternative names | Veal olives; veal birds |
|---|---|
| Type | Meat casserole |
| Place of origin | England |
| Main ingredients | Beef or veal strips wrapped around stuffing |
History and etymology
editThe word "olives" in the name of the dish is a corruption of "aloes" or "allowes", from the Old French alou, meaning lark.[1] It was held that the small stuffed beef (or veal) rolls resembled little birds, particularly those whose heads had been cut off in being prepared for the table. In The Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson observes that although the standard French term for similar beef rolls is paupiettes they have an alternative name – alouettes sans tête ("larks without heads").[2] Likewise, an alternative English name is "veal birds".[2]
In English usage the term beef (or veal) olives dates back to at least the 16th century. John Florio in his A Worlde of Wordes (1598) refers to "That meate which we call oliues of veale".[3] By the 18th century, beef was more commonly used than veal. Elizabeth Raffald in The Experienced English Housekeeper (1769) gives a recipe for the beef version, as in the 19th century does Mrs Beeton (1861).[3]
Davidson comments that similar rolled and stuffed beef (or veal) dishes are found in the cookery of Germany (Rouladen),[2] Poland (zrazy),[2] and the Czech Republic (ptachky);[2] in Italy, there are several names for versions of the dish, including involtini,[2] braciola[4] and pasteli.[3]
Ingredients
editElizabeth David remarks of the French paupiettes that every cook has a different recipe for them.[5] Recipes vary likewise for the English equivalent:
| Cook/writer | Beef | Stuffing | Liquid | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrs Beeton | Rump, wrapped in bacon | Minced herbs | Beef and veal stock | [6] |
| Mary Berry | Silverside or topside | Onions, bacon, mushrooms | Beef stock and tomato purée | [7] |
| Robert Carrier | Topside | Onions, mushrooms, breadcrumbs | Beef stock | [8] |
| Ceserani and Kinton | Lean beef | Onions, breadcrumbs | Brown stock | [9] |
| Keith Floyd | Stewing beef | Minced pork | Red wine | [10] |
| Prue Leith | Lean beef | Onions, sausage meat | Beef stock and tomato purée | [11] |
| Richard Olney | Rump or round | Chopped pork, chopped hard-boiled eggs | unspecified | [12] |
| Elizabeth Raffald | Rump | Breadcrumbs, bone marrow, lemon | "a Pint of Gravy" | [13] |
| Gary Rhodes | Topside or rump | Minced chicken, onions, mushrooms | Red wine and veal stock | [14] |
| Katie Stewart | Rump | Mushrooms, breadcrumbs | Stock (unspecified) | [15] |
References
edit- ^ Ayto, p. 26
- ^ a b c d e f Davidson, p. 69
- ^ a b c "beef olive". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- ^ Carluccio, p. 106
- ^ David, p. 351
- ^ Beeton, p. 56
- ^ Berry, pp. 34–35
- ^ Carrier, p. 127
- ^ Ceserani and Kinton, pp. 171–172
- ^ Floyd, p. 103
- ^ Leith, p. 157
- ^ Olney, p. 94
- ^ Raffald, pp. 104–105
- ^ Rhodes, p. 124
- ^ Stewart, p. 68
Sources
edit- Ayto, John (2012). The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origins of Food and Drink. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0199640249.
- Beeton, Isabella (2006) [1861]. Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. London: Bounty. ISBN 978-0-75-371400-3.
- Berry, Mary (1985). Cooking From Your Freezer. Cambridge: Martin. ISBN 978-0-85-941305-3.
- Carluccio, Antonio (2013). Antonio Carluccio's Simple Dishes. London: Quadrille. ISBN 978-1-84-949299-7.
- Carrier, Robert (1963). Great Dishes of the World. London: Thomas Nelson. OCLC 58605494.
- Ceserani, Victor; Ronald Kinton (1972). Practical Cookery. London: Edward Arnold. ISBN 978-0-71-311713-4.
- David, Elizabeth (2008) [1960]. French Provincial Cooking. London: Folio Society. OCLC 809349711.
- Davidson, Alan (1999). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-211579-9.
- Floyd, Keith (1995). The Best of Floyd. London: Michael Joseph. ISBN 978-0-71-814097-7.
- Leith, Prue (1980). Leith's Cookery Course. London: Fontana. ISBN 978-0-00-635272-3.
- Olney, Richard (1981). Beef and Veal. London: Time Life. ISBN 978-0-80-942852-6.
- Raffald, Elizabeth (1769). The Experienced English House-keeper. Manchester: Harrop. OCLC 504316342.
- Rhodes, Gary (1994). Rhodes Around Britain. London: BBC Books. ISBN 978-0-56-336440-5.
- Stewart, Katie (1972). The Times Cookery Book. London: Collins. ISBN 978-0-00-435162-9.