Calves’ Brains Fritters

Name: Calves’ Brains Fritters (Cervelles de Veau en Beignets)
Yield: Makes 4 First-Course Servings
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram, or ½ teaspoon chopped dried marjoram (or try thyme or tarragon); ¼ cup [60 ml] dry white wine; 1 small shallot, chopped fine; 2 calves’ brains (about ¾ pound [340 g] each); salt (for soaking); Tartar Sauce; Sauce Rémoulade; Sauce Gribiche; Sauce Cameline; 2 quarts [2 l] “pure” olive oil; tiny pinch cream of tartar (unless you’re using a copper bowl); 2 egg whites; 1 teaspoon salt, plus additional salt (for sprinkling over the beignets); 1 cup all-purpose flour

Cervelles de Veau en Beignets

Preparation info

Makes
4
First-Course Servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Glorious French Food

By James Peterson

Published 2002

About

In France, beignets are usually made by dipping sliced fruits into a batter, deep-frying them, and sprinkling them with powdered sugar. The same kind of frying batter can be used to fry savory things. It works particularly well with brains because the crispy outer coating provides contrasting crunch.

Ingredients

2 calves’ brains (about ¾ pound [340 g] each)
salt (for soaking)

Europe
France
Main course
Mediterranean

Method

Soak the brains in cold water for 2 hours to loosen the membrane. Starting at the side, pinch the membrane and gently peel it off. It should come off quite easily unless the brains have been frozen. (If you can’t get it off, just leave it on.) Discard the membrane. Put the brains in a bowl of fresh water— enough to cover abundantly—with a small handful of salt and refrigerate them overnight. Gi