18 July 2016

Lamb kidneys for lunch

How about a lunch of lamb kidneys? That's what we had one day last week. They are called rognons d'agneau. I think the kidneys are good — at least as good as veal kidneys — and I've been cooking and eating them since the 1970s, but not often. I don't remember the first time I ever ate them, but it had to be in France in the early to mid-1970s.

I was at Intermarché one day a couple of weeks ago and I saw two lamb kidneys on a tray at the butcher's counter. I asked for them and asked if he had more. He didn't. I bought the two kidneys he had on display and stuck them in the freezer.


Then a few days later I was at the Grand Frais supermarket up near Blois and I noticed that there were lamb kidneys in the butcher cabinet there too. And more of them. The woman running the show sold me four more kidneys and said she probably had more in the back if I wanted them. I didn't, especially, but it's good to know that Grand Frais is a source for the delicacy.


How do you prepare and cook them? Unless the butcher has already done it, you need to remove the thin, nearly clear membrane that covers each kidney — it peels right off. Then you cut each kidney in half so that you have two kidney-shaped pieces (as above). Then you carefully "de-nerve" them, as they say in French. That means cut out the white material, which is veins or whatever, in each half. If you want to, you can soak the kidney pieces for half an hour in cold water with a splash of vinegar in them to "disgorge" them. I didn't do that this time.

Next you clean and cut up a good quantity of mushrooms. And you peel and chop an onion or two. Set all that aside.


Heat up a pan so that it is searing hot. Dry the kidney pieces off a little with a paper towel if you have soaked them. Then sauté them quickly in the hot pan to "seize" them, as they say in French. Take them out of the pan as soon as they have browned for a couple of minutes on each side. Don't leave them too long or they'll go rubbery. Don't spare the black pepper.


Then sauté the onions and mushrooms in the same pan until they are done. At that point, pour in a splash of cognac or whiskey (or white wine) and let that evaporate to deglaze the pan and give flavor. Add a few tablespoons of cream — as much as you want — to the pan, along with a tablespoon or two of Dijon mustard. Mix everything together and then put the kidneys into the sauce. Let it bubble and cook just long enough to heat the kidneys through. You want to serve them medium-rare or, in French, rosé.
 

Serve the Rognons d'agneau à la crème with rice, pasta, or either fried or steamed potatoes and a green salad. I actually served them with millet (cooked as you cook rice) and "baby" collard greens. Spinach, green beans, broccoli, or another green vegetable would be good. Yum.

Back in the 1970s, when I was living in Champaign, Illinois, I used to go from time to time to the butcher counter at the supermarket and order a batch of fresh lamb kidneys to cook this way. Then I'd have to go back and pick them up 48 hours later — they were a special-order item. At least once, the butcher looked at me as he handed me the package of lamb kidneys and said: "Your cat is certainly going to have a feast tonight!"

I doubt that many of you reading this will be cooking lamb kidneys any time soon, et tant pis pour vous. They are a real delicacy.

14 comments:

  1. Just like you, I've cooked veal, pig or lamb kidneys the way you describe for many years and I had to eat them each time since I didn't have a cat. And it sure was a treat! For those who never had kidneys, as you say, it's their loss.

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  2. Steak & Kidney pudding was ruined for me because of the kidneys. I never knew when I'd come across a funny textured bit of 'meat'. I'm still rather wary of innards. My loss I know.

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  3. What Judith said. I need to try millet sometime- I bet the sauce was good with it.

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  4. The entire dish looks delish. I do enjoy your cooking posts so much and they are a great antidote to the news these days. I have enjoyed beefsteak and kidney a few times while in England.

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  5. My mom used to make steak & kidney pie, but of course that was beef kidneys. I'd like to try lamb kidney some day. (But I bet Ginger wouldn't!)

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    1. Lamb kidneys are very tender and not smelly at all. No comparison with beef kidneys.

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    2. P.S. I think pieces of veal or lamb kidneys could be substituted for snails in escargots.

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  6. I'm wondering about the taste, texture. I've eaten both chicken and beef liver here in the US but don't recall ever encountering kidneys.

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    1. The texture of the kidneys is similar to the texture of cooked mushrooms. The flavor is distinctive but mild.

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  7. Yuk! That is all! :) I've never been a fan of innards except for chicken livers and I have eaten trout sound and flounder livers in my time. Went to Morehead City today to see an art exhibition of Jack Saylor's paintings at a small art gallery on Arendell Street. The one thing I love about Morehead is the old town on Arendell is still the same. Thought about you today!

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    1. I think Americans used to eat a lot more liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, gizzards, and other "innards" or offal than they do nowadays. Unfortunately something has been lost. All that meat goes into dog food, I guess, or just gets thrown out. And people go hungry all around the world as we waste things. Oh well...

      Glad you enjoyed Morehead. The old downtown has seen better days, but it's still there. I remember when there used to be a lot of foot traffic down there, and when there were many more shops and businesses.

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