beef olives familiar in England, originated in medieval times, when cooks would take slices of beef or veal (or mutton), spread them with a stuffing of, say, breadcrumbs, onion, and herbs, and braise them. When they call the result âolivesâ, this was a mistake; a corruption of the name of the dish, âaloesâ or âallowesâ. This came from the Old French alou, meaning lark; the idea was that the small stuffed rolls looked something like small birds, especially ones which had lost their heads in being prepared for the table. In this connection it is interesting that, although the standard French word for these rolls is paupiettes, there is an alternative name, alouettes sans tĂȘte, literally âlarks without headsâ. Also, in English they are still often called âveal birdsâ. Corresponding terms in other countries are: Italy, involtini; Poland, zrazy; Czechoslovakia, ptachky; and Germany Rouladen.
