Sauteed Sweetbreads Recipes

SWEETBREADS

Steps:

• Tear the sweetbread apart into 1 inch sections. Discard the stringy ligaments that hold it together. Rinse with water as you go. Dip the slightly wet sweetbreads into flour.
• Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet. Fry the sweetbreads in the hot oil until golden brown, turning once. Remove from oil, and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

SWEETBREADS (PAN SEARED)

Steps:

• Place the salt and vinegar into a saucepot, with enough water to cover the sweetbreads, and bring to a boil.
• Add the sweetbreads, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Drain and cover with cold water.
• Remove all membranes and tubes.
• Slice each sweetbread in half crosswise.
• Mix the flour and garlic powder together and dredge the sweetbreads in the flour mixture.
• Heat butter and oil in a skillet until very hot.
• Place the sweetbreads and shallots into the hot skillet and once you place them in, DO NOT move them around.
• When they are a light golden color on the bottom side, (about 3 to 5 minutes), with tongs, carefully turn them over to sear the other side until that side becomes a light golden color.
• Remove the sweetbreads and plate them as you desire. Garnish them with the Italian parsley leaves and serve as a wonderful appetizer.

SWEETBREADS SAUTé RECIPE

Steps:

• Remove membranes and sinew from sweetbreads. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
• Place a skillet over high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter, swirling it around. Add sweetbreads and let the cubes brown on one side before turning. Sprinkle with about 3/4 teaspoon salt. Brown sweetbreads in this way, turning only once per side until cubes are browned on most surfaces, about 5 minutes total. Remove from skillet and set aside.
• Add more butter, onions, and salt to taste. Sauté until browned, about 10 to 15 minutes. Move onions to one side of your skillet and add chiles, mustard seeds, and red peppers. Mustard seeds will pop. Add sweetbreads back into the pan. Add turmeric, sprinkling it over contents of the pan, and stir everything around. Sauté for 1 more minute to let ingredients mix together. Serve hot, garnishing with cilantro or parsley.

WARM SWEETBREAD SALAD WITH HARICOTS VERTS, WILD MUSHROOMS, AND HAZELNUT VINAIGRETTE (RECIPE COURTESY OF THE DEAN AND DELUCA COOKBOOK)

Steps:

• Soak the sweetbreads in a large bowl of cold water for 3 hours, changing the water several times. Then remove the sweetbreads from the water and gently pull away as much of the outer membrane as you can, being careful not to tear the flesh. Soak the sweetbreads again for 1 hour, this time in a large bowl of cold water with 1 teaspoon of coarse salt. Remove from the water and peel away more of the membrane. Separate the sweetbreads into its 2 lobes.
• Fill a medium saucepan with 5 cups cold water, 1 teaspoon coarse salt and the white wine vinegar. Place the sweetbreads in the pan and slowly bring the water to a simmer over moderate heat (this should take about 10 minutes). Allow the water to simmer very gently for another 5 minutes. (The sweetbreads should be firm on the outside, but still give a little when squeezed). Remove sweetbreads and place them in ice water for 10 minutes to stop the cooking.
• Dry sweetbreads and place in a heavy loaf pan or a terrine lined with plastic wrap. Cover with another layer of plastic wrap. Place another heavy loaf pan or terrine on top to weigh down the sweetbreads, and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• When ready to cook, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and cook haricots verts until they are crisp but slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Remove and reserve at room temperature.
• In a small bowl combine the lemon juice with the balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of the shallots. Slowly whisk in the hazelnut oil. Season to taste with salt and the additional black pepper. Reserve.
• Place 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add remaining shallots and saute, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, making sure the pan is not overcrowded. (It may be necessary to saute the mushrooms in 2 batches). Saute with a big pinch of salt, shaking the pan occasionally, until mushrooms are nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove mushrooms from skillet and reserve. If there is liquid in the pan that the mushrooms have given off, boil it until it is reduced to 1 to 2 tablespoons and pour over the mushrooms.
• With a very sharp knife, cut the weighted sweetbreads into broad slices that are about 1/4 inch thick. Combine the flour, the remaining 2 teaspoons of coarse salt, and the 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper on a plate and mix well. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the skillet in which the mushrooms cooked, and place over high heat. Dredge sweetbread slices in the seasoned flour on both sides and add to hot oil. Saute, turning, until sweetbreads are browned and crispy on the outside, about 3 minutes. Remove.
• Toss reserved haricots verts and mushrooms together. Toss mixture with about half the hazelnut vinaigrette. Place one-fourth of the mixture on each of 4 plates. Nestle pieces of the crispy sweetbread slices among the haricots verts/ mushroom mixture, and drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over the sweetbread slices. Garnish with chervil.
• Suggested drink: Domaine Laroche Chablis Premier Crus, Les Fourchaumes 1987.

SAUTEED SWEETBREADS (LAMB OR VEAL)

Steps:

• Put Salt& vinegar in a saucepan with enough water to cover the sweet breads, bring to a boil.
• Add sweetbreads, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
• Immediately drain and cover with cold water.
• Drain and cover with cold water.
• Remove all the membranes and tubes.
• Slice in half crosswise (you'll have 8 halves).
• Dredge in flower& garlic.
• Heat butter& oil in a skillet.
• Saute the sweetbreads until browned3-5 minutes.
• Sprinkle with the bacon.

SWEETBREADS AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• To blanch sweetbreads, first wash in cold water, then place in a bowl and soak for about 2 hours in several changes of cold water . Pull off as much membrane and filament as you can without tearing the flesh. Soak for another 2 hours, this time adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar per quart of cold water. Pull off the filament and remove connecting tubes between lobes, if present. Place sweetbreads in a saucepan and cover by about two inches with boiling water. Add the salt and lemon juice (1 tsp salt and 1 tablespoon lemon juice per quart of water). Bring to a bare simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water for 5 minutes. Drain.
• When ready to cook, cut the blanched sweetbreads into bite-size cubes and brown them in the butter in a roomy skillet (You may need to brown them in two batches so as not to crowd them). Remove the sweetbreads to a plate. In the same skillet quickly brown the mushrooms over a brisk flame, adding more butter if needed. Add the lemon juice to the skillet and cook, covered, for 3 minutes.
• Return the sweetbreads to the skillet and add the chicken stock, tomato paste, sherry (I actually prefer dry marsala -- port or madeira would probably be OK, too), and bay leaf. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add pepper. Dissolve the arrowroot in the white wine and add to skillet to thicken.
• The sweetbreads may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before reheating.

SWEETBREADS WITH MUSHROOMS AND CHERRIES

Steps:

• Rinse sweetbreads under cold running water. Dissolve 1 tablespoon salt in 2 cups cold water in a 2-quart bowl. Add juice of 1/2 lemon. Add sweetbreads; water should cover them. Soak 1 to 2 hours. Place cherries in a dish, add wine and set aside at least 2 hours.
• Remove sweetbreads from water and use a sharp knife to peel off translucent membrane and remove any bits of fat. If sweetbreads separate into sections, that is fine. Place sweetbreads in a saucepan, cover with cold water, add almost all remaining lemon juice, bring to a slow simmer and poach 15 minutes. Allow to cool in liquid, then refrigerate until ready to use.
• Remove sweetbreads from liquid. Separate into 1- to 2-inch nuggets. Pat dry. Season flour with salt and pepper and dust sweetbreads. Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet or sauté pan with a cover. Very lightly brown sweetbreads. Remove to a dish. Add pancetta and onion to skillet. Sauté on medium-low until starting to color. Add mushrooms and sauté until softened. Add cherries with wine, and stock. Stir to deglaze pan. Bring to a simmer, add sweetbreads, baste with sauce.
• Cover and simmer gently 10 minutes. Season sauce with remaining juice of lemon and salt and pepper. Baste sweetbreads again, add tarragon and serve.

SWEETBREADS WITH MADEIRA SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the sweetbreads in a saucepan and add cold water to cover. Add salt, bay leaf,parsley,thyme and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
• Slice each lobe on the bias into four pieces of equal thickness. Sprinkle the slices on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Dredge the slices in flour and shake off excess.
• Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add the sweetbread slices and cook 5 minutes on one side or until golden brown and slightly crisp. Turn the slices and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a heated platter.
• Pour off any fat remaining in the skillet and add 1 tablespoon butter. Add the shallots and mushrooms and stir. Cook until the mushrooms are wilted.
• Sprinkle the mushroom mixture with the Madeira and stir. Add the broth and tomato paste, and bring to a boil. Add the sweetbread slices in one layer. Cover closely and cook 5 minutes.
• Transfer the sweetbread slices to a warm platter. Swirl the remaining tablespoon of butter into the sauce and pour it over the sweetbreads. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

SAUTéED SWEETBREADS WITH LEMON AND CINNAMON

Steps:

• Soak the sweetbreads in lukewarm water for 2-3 hours to remove any traces of blood, changing the water twice. Rinse them and remove the tough outer membrane and any bits of fat, but leave the inner membrane intact so that the sweetbreads don't disintegrate. Put them in a pan of lightly salted water, bring slowly to the boil, and simmer 3 minutes; this firms them up. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and plunge them into cold water. Drain and dry them, and pull off any gristle.
• Fry the onion in the butter in a large skillet, over low heat, until soft.
• Slice the sweetbreads and put them in the skillet. Dust lightly with cinnamon and cook the slices for 1 minute on each side.
• Squeeze lemon juice over them and serve.

SOUTHERN-FRIED SWEETBREADS

Steps:

• Soak sweetbreads in a large bowl of ice water in the refrigerator, changing water occasionally (2 or 3 times), at least 8 hours.
• Drain sweetbreads and transfer to a 4-quart heavy saucepan. Cover with cold water by 1 inch and add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until sweetbreads plump and feel slightly firmer to the touch, about 3 minutes. Drain in a colander and transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking. Cut away any fat and pull away as much membrane and connective tissue as possible with a small paring knife, then separate with your fingers into roughly 2-inch pieces.
• Whisk buttermilk with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add sweetbreads and soak, chilled, 1 hour.
• About 10 minutes before sweetbreads are finished soaking in buttermilk, start heating 2 inches oil to 350°F in a 5-quart wide heavy pot over medium heat. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, paprika, cayenne, and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
• Put a metal cooling rack in a 4-sided sheet pan and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Drain sweetbreads well, discarding buttermilk. Dredge in flour mixture, shaking off any excess, then fry in 3 batches until golden and cooked through (cut one open to test), 3 to 3 1/2 minutes, depending on size. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, then season lightly with salt. Keep warm on rack in oven. (Return oil to 350deg; between batches.) Serve fried sweetbreads immediately.