Here's a dish that transports me. There's something very Edwardian about it, something starch collared and very proper. You can imagine terribly properly dressed young things tucking into these before a mornings motoring or hunting. I can almost smell tweed and shotgun smoke.
Anyway, these are so quick to do that it's almost criminal that I don't make them more often. The kidneys are seasoned with cayenne pepper, dry mustard powder, salt, pepper and flour. Cooked in butter until crisp and then showered in Worcestershire sauce and chicken stock. The sauce is left to reduce and then poured on waiting kidneys and toast. It is a combination of very strong flavours, which only requires smoothing out with the addition of a pint of good ale.
11 comments:
Oh, that's just too James Joyce.
(PS: Time to start activating word verification; you've been spammed.)
haha, maybe I'll start throwing in stream of conciousness posts and maybe the odd made up word...
gah! I'm not sure what to think. Part of me wants to run but then the other part of me that loves natto and pate wants me to give it a chance--What does that taste like?
Well, hopefully you've not cooked them too long so you get this lovely crisp outside with a lovely soft inner. The seasoning adds quite a punch to the kidney taste, a mustardy, peppery punch, followed up by the worchestershire sauce. I love em. But they still taste of kidneys ;-)
"a fine tang of faintly scented urine," according to James Joyce.
So, yes, I said, yes I will... er -- nah.
Well, yeah, there is that, but once you get past that, they are very tasty....
Even if they are meat, I ain't going near. I have a dumb american palate and can't handle the interesting parts of the best. I am trying, but have had kidneys many years ago, still make me shudder.
However, this post did raise your cool ratio by a substantial margin.
Biggles
Kidneys are terrific, and if you blanch them quickly before cooking--and if you use kidneys from a young animal, a calf or a lamb, rather than a mature pig or steer--the urine taste isn't really detectable. Steak and kidney pie (onions, dark brown broth, chunks of beef round or chuck, slow cook, pastry crust, bake till brown on top) is great too.
Tasty! What kind of bread did you use, it almost looks corn meal-y...
Dr b: I'll keep the offal coming then to keep that cool ratio nice and high!
Anon: These were lamb's kidneys and hence almost no urine smell, I'll try that blanching thing next time. Cheers for the tip.
Saff: It's a malted oat loaf, toasted and buttered.
Reading a blog for the first time (as I was just doing here) I start to wonder a little about the writer, who they are and where they are writing from...seeing this post, I feel my questions are answered...I will be back, often...anyone who loves kidneys and takes such beautiful photos deserves a few more looks. :-)
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