Scottish Veal Kidney Food

SAUTEED VEAL KIDNEYS WITH ROASTED SHALLOTS, MADEIRA AND CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place shallots in a roasting pan or casserole dish. Rub with vegetable oil, cover and roast until soft, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, split kidneys lengthwise and remove nerve and core from each side. Slice clean kidneys into silver-dollar-size pieces. Set aside.
• Squeeze roasted shallots out of their skins. Reserve 4 whole shallots for garnish and chop remainder. Place a large skillet over medium-low heat and melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add chopped shallots and saute until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add Madeira and saute until reduced to a glaze. Stir in cream and simmer until reduced by half. Remove from heat.
• Place a clean skillet over medium heat, and add remaining butter and the olive oil. When butter melts, add kidneys and saute until browned on all sides. Remove kidneys from pan, pour out any liquid in pan, and return kidneys to pan. Add cream sauce and simmer until kidneys are cooked to medium (pink inside) and glazed with sauce. Add parsley and chives. To serve, place equal portions on four plates, and garnish each with a whole roasted shallot. If desired, serve with sauteed spinach.

GRILLED VEAL KIDNEYS WITH SAGE AND PANCETTA

Steps:

• Soak about 10 small wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Preheat broiler.
• Trim the fat and filament from the kidneys and cut them in pieces about one-inch thick. Place the sage leaves on top of the kidneys, wrap in a slice of pancetta and thread on a skewer. Continue this way until you have threaded all the kidneys on skewers. There should be two small skewers a person.
• Broil the kidneys about six inches from the heat until they are cooked to desired doneness. Do not overcook or they will be tough. They are at their best when pink in the middle. Add salt and pepper to taste.

VEAL OR LAMB KIDNEYS SAUTEED WITH LEMON AND MUSTARD

Steps:

• Mash together the mustard and 3 tablespoons of the butter and set aside.
• Remove the button of fat at the kidney hilum without piercing the flesh. Kitchen scissors work best for me. If the butcher left any opaque membrane on the kidney, remove it.
• Over medium heat melt the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet until the foam begins to subside.
• Roll the kidneys in the melted butter, then cook them uncovered for about 10 minutes, turning every minute or two. Regulate the heat so that the butter is always very hot but not discoloring. The kidneys should brown lightly and stiffen but not become hard.
• Remove them from the skillet and keep warm for the few minutes it takes to make the sauce.
• Stir the shallots into the butter in the skillet and cook for about one minute. Add the wine and the lemon juice. Boil, scraping up the coagulated cooking juices and reduce the liquids to about 4 tablespoons.
• Off heat swirl in the mustard butter by spoonfuls into the skillet.
• Rapidly cut the kidneys into slices 1/8 inch thick (they should be a light pink). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Toss the kidney slices in the skillet with their juices and the parsley over low heat for a minute or two to warm them without allowing the sauce to simmer.
• Serve immediately, preferably on warmed plates.

VEAL KIDNEYS IN RED-WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut each kidney crosswise into quarters. Cut away and discard most but not all of the firm interior white fat or core of each kidney. Cut the kidneys into bite-size cubes and set aside.
• Cut the mushrooms into bite-size pieces. There should be about 4 cups.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan, and add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms give up their liquid. Continue cooking until the liquid evaporates. Add 1 tablespoon of the shallots and the flour, and cook briefly, stirring. Add the wine, beef broth and tomato paste, and cook over high heat about 5 minutes or until reduced to 2 cups.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wide, heavy skillet, and add half of the kidney pieces. Cook, shaking the skillet and stirring often, about 1 1/2 minutes. Line a mixing bowl with a sieve, and pour the kidneys into the sieve to drain.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the skillet, and add the remaining kidney pieces. Cook about 1 1/2 minutes and drain, as above.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a casserole, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of shallots. Cook briefly, and add the mushrooms in red-wine sauce, the kidneys, salt and pepper, and swirl in the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Serve sprinkled with parsley.