To Prepare Sweetbreads

Appears in
top 1000The Carved Angel Cookery Book
The Carved Angel Cookery Book

By Joyce Molyneux

Published 1990

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The sweetbreads we buy are either the very expensive calves’ sweetbreads from the wholesale butcher, or the rather more reasonably priced lambs’ sweetbreads from the summer lambs, which are sold by the local butcher.

Whichever sort you buy, sweetbreads need first to be soaked in cold water for about 2 hours to dissolve any bloody patches. Drain well then put the sweetbreads into a pan with enough chicken stock to cover and a little salt. Bring to the boil and simmer very gently until tender. The larger calves’ sweetbreads will take about 30 minutes, while smaller lambs’ sweetbreads need only 15 or so minutes. Test by piercing with a kitchen fork – the juices that run out should be clear rather than pink. Leave the sweetbreads to cool in the stock.