A week or so ago I was shopping at SuperU and I was surprised to see that there was a tray of lamb kidneys on offer in the butcher counter display case. Rognons d'agneau are a specialty I've enjoyed, though not frequently, since the 1970s. I can't remember who cooked them for me back then — they are not something I would have bought and cooked for myself at the age of 25. Anyway, I went back to SuperU on Monday and the butcher prepared six lamb kidneys for me. They cost me a little less than four euros and weighed 11 oz. (330g).
I'll spare you all the photos of the preparation of the kidneys for cooking and just focus on the finished dish. What I made was based on a recipe I found for rognons d'agneau à la berrichonne — Berry-style lamb kidneys. I'd never cooked them this way before. The kidneys were flavorful but not gamey, and their liver-like texture was perfect. They were cooked but not overcooked — rosé is the French term for lamb cooked medium-rare. I decided not to put in the mushrooms that the French recipe called for.
The sauce for these rognons d'agneau is made with red wine and smoked pork lardons, along with onion, garlic, herbs, and spices. I don't understand why lardons are not sold and eaten in North America. Especially in the South, vegetables and stews are often flavored with salt-cured pork or smoked bacon. Here in France, the pork is very lean and the flavor lardons give to sauces and dishes is delicious. They come in plain, smoked, or salt-cured forms, but I nearly always use lardons fumés.
Kidneys and sweetbread are two of my favorite dishes. That French recipe is interesting, but what does make it berrichone? I would call your version rognons d'agneau à l'Américaine because of all the spices you put into it!
ReplyDeleteThere are no unusual spices in it, and just a pinch of each. If I had been making this for you, I would have of course put in a spoonful of cinnamon!
DeleteHave a look at all these recipes for rognons à la berrichonne.
DeleteKen, LOL!
DeleteThanks for the recipes. So, it seems what makes these rognons recipes berrichonnes is the use of red (Sancerre) wine. Are there any other red wines in Berry?
Yes. I think we've been to all these wine villages: Menetou-Salon, Reuilly, and Château-Meillant. There might be others.
DeleteI forgot one red wine produced in the Berry. It's Valençay. And I might point out too that our local Touraine wines, from Saint-Aignan east to Couffy and Meusnes, are also produced in the old Berry province, and they are reds.
DeleteSo you could have used a local red wine to make your dish truly à la berrichonne.
DeleteWhat makes you think I didn't use a local red wine?
DeleteYes, lots of herbs and spices to cover over the taste and texture of kidneys.
ReplyDeleteHow did you know? Actually, the kidneys tasted really good. But spices and herbs can counteract any gaminess, and I do like my food well spiced. It's not very French to eat spicy food, except for one dish: couscous.
Delete... and steak au poivre!
DeleteWhat, only one spice?!?! And not a very spicy one at that. Until now, I've always cooked lamb kidneys in a cream sauce with mushrooms and a lot of black pepper — the only French spice!
DeleteI also wonder why we can't find lardons here in the US every time you write about them. We can find slab bacon at the deli counter and could cut a thick piece of that into small pieces, but it's basically just fat with streaks of meat here and there...useless.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in an English household where kidneys were frequently served because my father loved them. We were living in NY state, but my mother could easily order them from the butcher in those days.
Back in the '70s in Champaign, Illinois, I could order lamb kidneys from the butcher counter in at least one local supermarket. I'm not sure why I wanted to, because I can't remember the first time I ever ate lamb kidneys. I was sort of adopted by a family in Normandy between 1972 and 1975 (and even into the 2000s) and I suppose it was Jeanine who cooked lamb kidneys when I was with her and her children. I liked them. The butcher in Champaign assumed I was buying them to feed to my cat and said as much (he didn't know that I didn't have a cat).
DeleteSheila, when I came to live in Arlington, VA, some 45+ years ago, I could find calf liver; sweetbreads; veal, lamb or pork kidneys and what else at my local Safeway. These days are long gone. The American public at large needs to get more information about food and the way to prepare it and to stay away from fast food in the home and outside.
Deletechm, I don't know if there are Fresh Market stores in your area, but I've found that the one near me has a good butcher counter. Not sure their variety extends to lamb kidneys or sweetbreads, but at least the meat isn't uniformly wrapped in plastic.
DeleteEmm, there is a Fresh Market store in Alexandria, but it is too far away from me. I wisely stopped driving six years ago, an now, with a walker, shopping far from home is not an option. When I'm back, I'll check the butcher at Harris Teeter where I do my regular shopping. Thank you for the suggestion!
Deletenope, nope and nope
ReplyDeleteMore for me, Melinda. You don't know what you're missing.
DeleteI love lamb kidneys!
ReplyDelete