Southern Fried Sweetbreads Recipe 55

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.

HERB ROASTED SWEETBREADS

Steps:

• 1. Remove the sweetbreads from the water and pat dry with a towel, season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• 2. Heat a pan large enough to hold the sweetbreads and the rest of the ingredients in a single layer.
• 3. Add grape-seed oil to the pan and lightly sear the sweetbreads on all sides for about 90 seconds.
• 4. Remove the seared sweetbreads from the pan and add the leeks, fennel, shallots, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, coriander seeds, and peppercorns. Cook over medium heat until soft without caramelizing, for about 4 minutes.
• 5. Add the Noilly Prat to the pan, stirring up anything that may be stuck to the pan, then add the chicken stock. Simmer for 8 minutes on low temperature.
• 6. Return the seared sweetbreads to the pan and, with the heat on low, gently poach them for about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and allow the sweetbreads to cool in the cooking liquid.
• 7. Once cooled, remove them from the liquid and reserve for portioning. Heat the cooking liquid and strain through a fine-mesh sieve, reduce the cooking liquid by two-thirds, leaving you with about 1 cup of reduced liquid. This will be the base for the sauce.
• Directions
• 1. Heat grape-seed oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic, golden raisins, and coriander seeds. Cook for about 90 seconds.
• 2. Add the crushed grapes with the juices, bay leaf, and tarragon. Stir for about 90 seconds.
• 3. Add the white wine and boil for 30 seconds to burn off the alcohol. Add the verjus and sweetbread poaching liquid. Simmer for 20 minutes.
• 4. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a new saucepan. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and reduce until the consistency thickens and the flavor intensifies.
• 5. Finish the sauce with chopped tarragon and minced shallots before serving.
• To Finish the Sweetbreads:
• 1. Have a heavy bottom saute pan heating up with enough grape-seed oil to cover the bottom.
• 2. Season both sides of the cooked sweetbreads with salt and pepper and lightly coat with flour, shaking off any excess.
• 3. Sear the sweetbreads on medium-high heat until golden brown and caramelized on all sides.
• 4. Add a crushed clove of garlic, a sprig of thyme and a tablespoon of butter to the pan, allowing the butter to brown before removing the sweetbreads from the pan. Keep warm.
• Assembly:
• 1. Place the sunchoke ragout on the plate and put the sweetbreads on top.
• 2. Arrange the braised radishes and peeled grapes on the plate, and then apply the verjus sauce.
• 3. Finish the plate with the petite lettuces and shaved radishes.

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.

BREADED SWEETBREADS

Steps:

• Put the sweetbreads in a mixing bowl and add cold water to cover. Refrigerate overnight or for several hours. Put the sweetbreads in a saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to the boil and let simmer, stirring often, about five minutes. Drain and run under cold water until they are thoroughly chilled. Leave the sweetbreads whole, but cut or pull off any unsightly membranes, connecting tissues, etc. Place the sweetbreads on a rack and cover with a cloth. Cover with weights and let stand for one hour.
• Place the sweetbreads on a flat surface. Hold a sharp knife parallel to the surface and slice through the sweetbreads. This will produce up to 10 or 12 flat pieces.
• Put the egg in a flat dish and add the water, two teaspoons of oil, salt and pepper. Beat thoroughly.
• Put the flour in another flat dish. Put the bread crumbs in a third dish.
• Sprinkle the sweetbread slices with salt and pepper.
• Coat the slices individually in flour and shake off excess. Dip the slices in the egg mixture to coat well. Dredge the slices, one at a time, in the bread crumbs and pat to make the crumbs adhere.
• Heat two tablespoons of oil in each of two skillets so that the sweetbread slices can be cooked in one layer. When the oil is hot, add the sweetbread slices and cook until they are golden brown on one side, about six minutes. Turn the slices and cook until golden brown on the second side, about four to five minutes.
• Transfer the slices to a warm platter. If desired, wipe out one of the skillets and add the butter. Cook until it is foamy and starts to turn hazelnut brown. Pour this over the slices and serve sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.

SARA'S SWEETBREAD FRICASSEE

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil and add sweetbreads. Simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, cool sweetbreads in a bowl of cold water, remove and peel away any membrane. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices.
• Heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Salt the sweetbread pieces and dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Add to skillet when the butter has melted. Cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes per side. Add the carrots, onion, scallions and garlic, shaking the skillet occasionally, until the vegetables are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the stock, tomato paste, Pickapeppa sauce and nutmeg to the skillet. Tie the thyme, whole chili, allspice berries, clove and bay leaf in a square of cheesecloth and add to the skillet. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is thickened and reduced by about 1/2, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove skillet from the heat. Discard cheesecloth bundle. Season with salt and pepper and serve.