Well...this was my first experience with sweetbreads. Vanessa had them when she was growing up, and she has been badgering me for awhile to give them a shot. Here we are.
They are amazing. I hate to say it, but they DO taste like chicken. Anyways, this is another one of my originals and I am really happy with the combination of the minty peas, thyme-y mushrooms, yummy and crispy sweetbreads... all with a nice hit of buttery goodness to tie it together. I am really pleased whenever I eat something with distinct components that compliment one another. I am pretty proud of this one. Sweetbread are dirt cheap, too. Give this one a shot of you're not a big baby and like good-tasting food.
For the Peas:
300 g peas
20 mint leaves
½ cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter
For the Mushrooms:
olive oil, for cooking
1 sprig thyme
1 garlic, peeled, crushed
5 mushrooms, medium-sized caps, sliced
salt and pepper
¼ cup white wine
1 tablespoon butter
For the Foam:
25 g butter
100 milliliters milk
salt and pepper
For the Sweetbreads:
250 g sweetbreads, soaked overnight
salt and pepper
½ cup flour
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 sprig thyme
Preheat the oven to 50C/120F.
Prep the Sweetbreads: Soak the sweetbreads overnight. Drain them and rinse them in cold water. Place them in a medium saucepan and cover them with salted water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water. Place on a plate and chill for about an hour. After the hour is up, you can remove as much of the outer membrane as you can without damaging the meat. Before then (while it is chilling for an hour) you can get everything else together.
For the Peas: Blanch the peas in a pot of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes. Remove, drain then plunge into an ice bath. Next, blanch the mint in the boiling salted water for about 30 seconds. Drain, rinse and plunge into the ice bath. Drain the peas and mint and place them into a blender. Add the chicken stock and some salt and pepper and the butter. Whiz up in the blender until nice and smooth, but still a good thickness. You don't want it runny. If it is too thick, add a bit of stock and whiz to combine. Place into the oven to keep warm.
For the Mushrooms: Heat the oil, garlic and thyme in a fry pan over medium heat. When the garlic starts to sizzle, put the mushrooms in there along with the salt and pepper and toss to combine. If the pan gets too dry as you cook them, add a little more oil. Cook the mushrooms for about 7-9 minutes, until reduced a bit. Pour the white wine in, add the butter, and cook until almost evaporated. Remove and discard the garlic and thyme. Place just the mushrooms (none of any liquid left behind) in a small bowl and put in the oven to keep warm.
For the Foam: Put the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Melt the butter and let it cook until it starts to go brown and gives off a nutty aroma. Pour in the milk and cook until it starts to boil. Turn the heat off and remove from the heat. Set aside.
Finish the Sweetbreads: After you remove the outer membranes from the sweetbreads, coat them in flour, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large non-stick fry pan over medium heat until the oil moves freely in the pan. Add the sweetbreads and cook for about 5 minutes. Turn them over and turn the heat down to medium-low. Continue cooking for another 7 minutes, cooking and turning them to brown them on all sides as you go. Spoon off the fat as you go.
Add the butter and thyme and cook the sweetbreads, turning them occasionally and basting frequently with the butter, until they are crisp, nicely browned, and slightly firm, about 10 minutes more. While this is going, bring the milk/butter mixture to heat.
Plate: Put some pea puree down on the plate. Place some sweetbreads and mushrooms in alternating fashion across the plate. Take a stick blender and whiz the milk/butter mixture up until it foams. Skim the foam off the top and drizzle over the top. Serve.
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