Category Beef

Experiment Day 1


LAMB BRAINS, SWEET BREADS AND CALF LIVER

What can I say other than this was fun! I am all for trying new things so when my cooking buddy suggested that we try a recipe from “The Complete Nose to Tail” by Fergus Henderson and Justin Piers Gellatly I knew what we were in for.  So when Matt said we should try lambs brains I thought why the hell not. Then off we went to Torre Butcher in Northbridge, Perth. These guys are awesome, we were expecting the offal to be frozen but it all came out fresh which made it even better.

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INGREDIENTS

– 2 Onions, Peeled

– 2 Carrots, Peeled

– 2 Leeks, Peeled

– 2 Sticks of Celery

– 1 Whole Head of Garlic

– Black Peppercorns

– Bay Leaf

– A Bundle of Fresh Herbs

– 6 Lamb Brains, Rinsed in Cold Water

– Plain Flour, Season with Salt and Pepper

– 4 Eggs

– Fine Dry Bread Crumbs

– Vegetable Oil for Deep Frying

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METHOD

Place all stock, vegetables and herbs into a pot of water and bring to a simmer for fifteen minutes. Gently lower the lamb brains into the pot, let them gently cook for six minutes. Remove the brains with a slotted spoon and leave to cool on a tray. When they have cooled enough and have gone firm you are then to separate the lobes.

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Meanwhile prepare 3 bowls. The first with the seasoned flour, the second with the egg whisked and the third with the bread crumbs. Then you want to heat the oil in a pot – you don’t want to let the brains get to soggy.

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Next you want to dip the brains into the flour, then the egg, into the breadcrumbs and then onto a plate lined with paper towel ready for frying. Once you have completed crumbing the brains and the oil is hot, pop them in until crisp. This will take a matter of minutes. Drain on a paper towel and serve hot with your desired sauce. We had them with some Home Cooked Heston spicy ketchup and lemon wedges.

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New to the Home Cooked Heston Blog is beer matching. My good friends at Mane Liquor here in Perth are going to start matching the beer and my cooking buddy Matt Power will be matching the wine. I will make a new category for the different types of beer and wine to match different foods. This week for the brains they have matched La Sirène Wild Saison and the Cullen Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2008

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Lastly because it was an experiment day, we also tried sweet breads, which we crumbed and deep fried some calf liver which we sautéed in a hot pan with some lemon juice and some of Torre’s nice big Italian pork sausages which were tasty.

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Full credit for the brains recipe to Fergus Henderson and Justin Piers Gellatly. Credit to Australian Wine Journal Blog for the Cullen photo I forgot to take one.

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PS. This book will be the death of me!

Meatball Minestrone


MEATBALL MINESTRONE

I have had this dish a handful of times every year during winter for the last six or seven years. It is one of my favourites and I have it laminated tucked away in my files for many years to come and I hope for you guys too. It is a very simple dish but the beauty is that you can add and subtract what ever you want to make it your own. Once I have moved into my new house and into my new lab (Kitchen) I will start to ramp up things big time. I hope you enjoy.

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INGREDIENTS

– 1 Tbsp Grape Seed Oil

– 1 Onion, Finely Chopped

– 1 Garlic Clove, Crushed

– 2 Bacon Rashers, Chopped

– 1 Carrot, Coarsely Chopped

– 1 Stick of Celery, Coarsely Chopped

– 400g Can Tomato Soup

– 2½ Cups Beef Stock

– 1 Cup Pasta Shells

– ½ Cup of Frozen Peas

– Shaved Parmesan

FOR THE MEATBALLS

– 500g Beef Mince (But you can use any)

– ¼ Cup of Breadcrumbs

– Salt and Pepper, to Taste

METHOD

To make the meatballs, mix all ingredients in a bowl by hand. Next you want to roll out your meatballs so that they are about three centimetres in diameter.

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Next heat the grape seed oil in a large saucepan over medium heat then add the onion garlic and bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion begins to soften. When this starts to happen add the carrot, celery, tomato soup and the stock. Bring to the boil and add the pasta. Reduce the heat and bring down to a simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

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Add the peas and meatballs to the minestrone, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the meatballs have cooked through. Garnish with parmesan and serve with a nice big crusty roll.

Dont Let the simplicity of this recipe fool you – it is a great recipe and one of my favourites.

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Credit to Barbara Northwood