Sautéed Sweetbreads With Sherry Mustard Butter Food

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.

LAMB SWEETBREADS IN A HONEY AND SHERRY VINEGAR GLAZE

Steps:

• Soak the sweetbreads in cold water to cover for 2 hours, changing the water 3 times. Drain and place the sweetbreads in a saucepan. Cover with cold water and add the lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain the sweetbreads and immediately plunge them into a bowl of cold water. After 3 or 4 minutes, remove and drain the sweetbreads on paper towels. Separate into lobes, with the natural partitions, and remove the tubes and connective tissues. The pieces will be approximately 2 by 2 inches.
• In a large skillet that will hold all the sweetbreads in a single layer, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add the sweetbreads, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and increase the heat to medium high. Cook, without stirring for about 3 minutes, then turn the sweetbreads to the other side. Continue cooking until golden, about 5 minutes more. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onion and shallot to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes, until golden. Add the vinegar and sherry, increase the heat to high, and deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping until the liquid has reduced by half. Add the beef broth or veal stock and simmer until again reduced by half, to just under 1 cup. Whisk in the honey and the butter and return the sweetbreads to the pan. Turn them in the sauce until heated through and nicely glazed, and serve immediately.

CREAMED SWEETBREADS

Steps:

• Add sweetbreads to 2 cups boiling water, add 1 tbsp vinegar, 1 small bay leaf,1/2 tsp pickling spice, 1/2 tsp salt.
• Add sweetbreads, simmer covered 20 minutes, drain well& cool.
• Remove the membrane from cooled sweetbreads.
• Melt butter, blend in flour, salt& paprika.
• Add broth& cream.
• cook until thickened, stirinng all the while.
• Add sweetbeads, mushrooms& sherry.
• Serve in warm baked patty shells, garnish with parsley sprigs.

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.

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.

SAUTéED SWEETBREADS WITH SHERRY-MUSTARD BUTTER

Steps:

• Place the sweetbreads in a container, cover them with cold water, and soak them in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, take them out and rinse them under cold running water to remove any remaining blood. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Lay the sweetbreads on top of the vegetables, pour in the wine, and cover with cold water by 2-3 inches. Add the bay leaf, a little salt, and the peppercorns and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes. Test the sweetbreads for doneness by removing one piece (with tongs or a slotted spoon) and placing it in an ice-water bath; it should be firm but neither hard (overcooked) nor too flabby (undercooked) when cool. (Chef Daniel used to say that they should have the feel of a firm, young breast, and of course he would say that looking directly at me, to see me blush!) If it is done, chill all the sweetbreads in the ice bath.
• Place the sweetbreads in a pan or on a large plate with another pan or plate on top of them, and 2-3 pounds of weight (cans of beans work well) evenly distributed on top. Refrigerate and press for at least 1 hour. This process will firm the sweetbreads and create a uniform thickness that helps them cook more evenly.
• With a paring knife, clean the sweetbreads of outer membranes, fat, and any tendons or rubbery bits. If they are plump enough (at least 1 inch thick), the best method is to slice them in half. This shows you any little pinkish parts that you want to remove, which you can do by grasping the end between the tip of your paring knife and your thumb and gently tugging to extract them without breaking the sweetbread apart.
• Do not overdo the cleaning, but do try to get these chewy bits out. You can do this while the Sherry-Mustard Butter is cooking.
• Season the sweetbreads with salt and pepper. Dust with flour, shaking off the excess. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, cook the sweetbreads until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Drain them briefly on paper towels and serve on a plate or platter with sauce ladled over the top. If you like, throw some sliced mushrooms into the pan and sauté to a crispy brown. Season lightly, then spoon on top of the sweetbreads. Finish with chopped parsley or chives.
• Combine the wine, sherry, vinegar, and shallot in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 3 tablespoons, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is smooth and has a creamy consistency. Whisk in the mustards and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Sweetbreads normally come in sets: the noix ("nut," in French), which is the rounder, meatier part (although a little fatter), about the size and shape of the palm of your hand, and the "gorge" (throat), which is the longer, gnarlier part, requiring more work for less yield. Ask your butcher or meat department for "heartbreads," which will be just the noix. Heartbreads cost a little more but are a lot easier to deal with.