
A recipe from Kin, New Orleans.
Yield: 2 servings as an appetizer
Ingredients
- 4 oz. blue cheese, softened
- 10 oz. veal sweetbreads, soaked overnight, refrigerated, and covered in 2 cups buttermilk
- 1 pod black cardamom, crushed
- 1-inch-piece cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp. fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp. coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp. black peppercorns
- vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, diced medium
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2-inch piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1 D’Anjou pear
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 2 oz. Lap cheong (Chinese sausage), finely diced or minced
- 1 shallot, peeled and finely minced
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
- 1 stalk lemongrass, crushed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted, roughly chopped
- 1/8 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/8 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup flour, all-purpose or a gluten-free blend
Method
Make ahead:
- Using plastic wrap, spread the blue cheese into a log that is approximately 1-inch in diameter. Roll up the plastic wrap to form a cylinder. Place in freezer.
- Remove the sweetbreads from the buttermilk, Rinse and set aside. Discard the buttermilk.
- Add the cardamom, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, and black peppercorns to a small skillet set over medium heat. Roast the spices, shaking the skillet frequently, until the aromas bloom, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Add a thin film of vegetable oil to a 4-quart saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and half of the ginger and cook gently until onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, and the reserved toasted spices. Bring to gentle simmer.
- Have at the ready a medium bowl filled with ice water.
- Add the reserved sweetbreads into the pan with the liquid and spices and poach until a digital thermometer inserted into the largest piece reads 145ºF. Remove the sweetbreads from the poaching liquid and shock them in the ice water.
- Remove the sweetbreads as soon as they have cooled completely. Peel the membranes and any sinew and connective tissue from the sweetbreads. Place sweetbreads in a casserole dish. Place another dish over the sweetbreads. Add pie weights or a pound of loose dried beans to the top dish to exert pressure on the sweetbreads. Place the sweetbreads and their dishes in the refrigerator overnight.
Serving day:
- On the day you will serve the sweetbreads preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Peel the pear then split it length-wise. Remove the core, preferably with a melon baller. Brush the tablespoon of butter evenly over the pear, then season with salt and pepper. Place the pear halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Bake the pear halves until a paring knife inserts effortlessly into thickest part, about 30 minutes.
- Add a thin film of the vegetable oil to a medium non-stick pan set over medium heat. Add the Lap cheong. When the sausage has released its oils, add the shallot, garlic, remaining ginger, thyme, lemongrass, and pine nuts. Cook until the aromas bloom, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Whisk in the vinegars and the oil. The vinaigrette will separate, just give it a gentle whisk before using.
- To serve preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Place the reserved pears, cut side down, in a baking dish with a dab of butter and warm them in the oven.
- Meanwhile, add 1/4 cup vegetable oil to a cast iron skillet set over high heat. When the oil shimmers decrease the heat to medium.
- Season the sweetbreads with salt and pepper. Lightly coat with the flour. Using tongs, place the coated sweetbreads into the skillet allow to cook to light golden brown, about three minutes, then flip. Cook until golden on remaining side. Drain on paper towels.
- Remove the pears from oven, make a horizontal cut from the rounded end and place pears onto plate (core side up.) Lay the sweetbreads atop pears. Lightly and completely coat the desired amount of dressing around the sweetbreads. Use a box grater to grate the reserved frozen bleu cheese atop the sweetbreads. Serve warm.