CookEat Recipe
Sweetbreads Espagnole
Whole veal heart-lobe sweetbreads braised with demi-glace and served on round toast with strained brown sauce.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Put the three pounds raw veal bones into a large food-safe stockpot with the five gallons cold water. Use equipment with room for the full batch and safe headspace. Bring to a boil and carefully skim off the scum.
Step 2
Peel the four medium carrots, two small turnips and two onions and leave them whole. Add them with the one parsley root, three leeks and two celery stalks. Cover and gently boil for four hours, skimming as needed.
Step 3
Strain all the finished white broth through clean food-safe cheesecloth, removing all bones and vegetables. Divide into small shallow containers, cool rapidly and refrigerate at 40°F or below within two hours. Keep all the broth cold while preparing the demi-glace; freeze for longer storage.
Step 4
Preheat a conventional oven to 400°F. Put the ten quarts cold water in a very large stockpot with ample headroom and begin heating. Have a butcher clean and cut the two fresh raw white calf feet into small pieces. Put them in a roasting pan with the half pound raw ham cut into pieces, one pound veal bones, two carrots, two onions and two leeks, all sliced, the three branches parsley root and one celery branch, sliced. Add the ten cloves, four bay leaves, twenty whole allspice berries, two tablespoons whole black peppercorns, one teaspoon thyme and one and a half tablespoons salt. Spread about four tablespoons rendered pork lard over the vegetables and roast until the bones, meat and vegetables are golden, without burning.
Step 5
Transfer the complete roasted mixture to the stockpot and add the one pint canned tomatoes. Bring slowly to a boil and cook for thirty minutes. Cover, lower the heat and keep at a gentle simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Before proceeding, check that the meat on the feet and the ham have each reached at least 70°C for two minutes, probing away from bone.
Step 6
In a second very large saucepan, heat the three ounces butter, stir in the six tablespoons flour and cook for twenty minutes, stirring regularly, until the roux is thoroughly brown. Carefully pour the hot stock mixture into the roux, mixing well. Keep at a very gentle simmer for twelve hours, stirring regularly and adjusting the heat to prevent catching.
Step 7
Mix in the half pint sherry, then strain through a clean fine conical strainer into clean heat-safe containers, removing all bones and aromatics. Divide all the finished demi-glace into small shallow containers, cool rapidly and refrigerate at 40°F or below within two hours. Keep it cold during the sweetbread preparation; use within forty-eight hours or freeze.
Step 8
Use six whole raw veal thymus heart-lobe sweetbreads, professionally supplied for cooking. Thaw in the refrigerator first if frozen, following the label. Cover with cold potable water and soak for two hours in the refrigerator at 40°F or below, then discard all the soaking water.
Step 9
Plunge the same six sweetbreads into separate fresh boiling water for five minutes. Drain, then put into separate fresh cold potable water to cool thoroughly and promptly. Drain again, discard the cooling water and neatly trim the glands. Continue promptly with the braise; the blanch is preparatory.
Step 10
Put half a sliced carrot, one sliced onion and one ounce raw larding pork cut into small pieces in a wide ovenproof sauté pan large enough for all six sweetbreads. Lay the sweetbreads on top, season with half a teaspoon salt and three saltspoons pepper and lightly baste their surface with a very little melted butter.
Step 11
Measure two actual gills of the finished white broth and pour into the sweetbread pan. Bring to a full boil, verifying at least 165°F, then let the liquid reduce on the hob until nearly dry. Prepare the measured demi-glace portion in the following step as this reduction finishes.
Step 12
Measure two actual gills of the finished chilled demi-glace before adding any broth. Take a separate little amount of the finished white broth, bring it to a full rolling boil and verify at least 165°F. Use just enough of this hot broth to loosen the measured demi-glace until somewhat fluid. Bring all this portion to a full boil, stirring and verifying at least 165°F, then pour it all into the pan once the first broth has reduced nearly dry.
Step 13
Preheat a conventional oven to 350°F. Cover the sweetbreads with a buttered piece of food-safe oven parchment rated for this temperature, cut to fit inside the pan and kept clear of heating elements. Put the pan in the oven for thirty-five minutes as a guide, continuing until the glands are tender and the thickest centre of each reaches at least 160°F for two minutes. Make sure the larding pork is fully cooked.
Step 14
While the sweetbreads braise, cut six round slices of plain bread, each two inches in diameter, and toast them without added fat until golden and crisp. Keep ready for the hot dish.
Step 15
Arrange the six fresh round toasts on a hot dish and put one cooked sweetbread on each. Skim the fat from the surface of the pan sauce and strain the sauce over the sweetbreads, removing all vegetables and other solids. Serve hot.
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