Salad of warm sweetbreads with potato crisps, anchovies and wild garlic
The salty tang of the anchovies in this recipe gives another dimension and adds lots of complementary flavour without compromising the sweetness of the sweetbreads.
SERVES
4
PEOPLE
PREP TIME
180
MINUTES
COOKING TIME
10
MINUTES
Ingredients
4 lamb or 2 veal sweetbreads
1 small carrot
1 onion
2 celery stalks
25g (1oz) butter
bouquet garni
600ml (1 pint) homemade chicken stock
a selection of salad leaves (little gem, oakleaf, sorrel, watercress and wild garlic leaves and flowers)
plain flour, well-seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper
beaten organic egg
butter and oil for sautéing
For the dressing:
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1â4 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper
To serve:
homemade potato crisps (see recipe)
4 anchovies
wild garlic flowers (or chive flowers depending on the season)
Method
To prepare sweetbreads: Put the sweetbreads into a bowl, cover with cold water and let them soak for 3 hours. Discard the water and cut away any discoloured parts from the sweetbreads.
Dice the carrot, onion and celery and sweat them in butter; add the bouquet garni. Then add the chicken stock and bring to the boil.
Poach the sweetbreads gently in the simmering stock for 3â5 minutes or until they feel firm to the touch. Cool, then remove the gelatinous membranes and any fatty bits carefully. Press between 2 plates and top with a weight not more than 1kg (2lb) or they will be squashed.
Prepare the salad:Â Wash and dry the lettuces and salad leaves and whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.
Slice the sweetbreads into escalopes, dip in well-seasoned flour and then in beaten egg. Sauté in a little foaming butter and oil in a heavy pan until golden on both sides.
Toss the salad leaves in the dressing, divide between 4 plates and lay the hot sweetbreads and then potato crisps on top of the salad. Sprinkle with chopped anchovy and wild garlic flowers or chive flowers and serve immediately.
