Kidneys

Appears in

Published 1987

About

Lambs’ kidneys are the easiest of all kidneys to prepare, being tender and lacking the acrid smell of beef or veal kidneys. They are best cooked simply, sautéed in butter with some shallots and herbs, the pan de-glazed with white wine or sherry and swirled with a little demi-glace and butter. Kidneys only need to be cooked very briefly — to your own taste. Some people like them quite rare. I think they should be slightly pink.

After their initial cooking they can be incorporated with other sauces or perhaps with a ragoût of mushrooms. They can be served with most of the butter sauces, particularly red wine butter, or, if plainly grilled over a wood fire, with a sauce béarnaise and its variations. One of the most definitive kidney dishes is veal kidneys wood-grilled and surrounded by their own fat. When they are removed from the fat after cooking, they are tender, pink and lightly flavoured by the smoke from the wood fire. However, it is impossible for us in Australia to buy veal kidneys surrounded by their own fat. The following recipe imitates the classic dish.