A Sweet Dish...

Pan Roasted Veal Sweetbreads

Wild Morels, Sugar Snap Peas, Daurade du Riviere, Summer Truffles

and Madiera-Sherry Vinegar Pan Juices

Sweetbreads or Ris de Veau...not everybody's favorite snack for sure. My wife wouldn't touch the stuff. No way in hell. She is not in that boat alone. They can be a hard sell in just about any establishment or eatery, unless perhaps a German, or of course, a haute French bistro or brasserie. There, they are the norm, and expected! I tend to place them on my menus here and there, yet mostly practice that introduction at meals and tastings where I have a captive audience, or in other words, a set menu where they get what I serve. I do not expect that everyone will like them, or eat them at all, yet, I do push to expose them to it, if only just in my explanation of the dish. Typically, they will try them, as the dishes thus far have been inviting and exciting(hopefully), and there has been an ongoing, growing development of trust. I try to compose dishes that inspire and provoke thought and produce a new understanding in cuisine and philosophy, and if I have done well, then a new enlightenment towards eating and food, which in the end creates a born awareness and comfort level in trying new combinations and foodstuffs without as much hesitation. So, lately, I have been playing with sweetbreads in various forms. Mostly pan roasting this time around, as it suits my preferred method of preparation with the parings of late...with or centered around fish! We first soak the whole lobes of pristine white, and just a hint of pink thymus glands in milk, bay, peppercorns, coriander, thyme and a touch of sugar overnight. Then, we rinse well and soak in cold running water for an hour or so. I then sweat a small amount of mirepoix(mix of onions, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic, small diced for a flavoring compound) along with various herbs of the moment...thyme, marjoram, savory, bay, rosemary, and chervil & parsley stems. I add some Noilly Prat Dry Vermouth, reduce by 2/3, add fond blanc, or white stock (preferably veal, but chicken and/or vegetable will suffice), and bring to a subtle boil. When it reaches a gentle simmer, I allow to cook for 3-5 minutes or just until slightly firm. Then, plunge into an ice-bath to stop the cooking for several minutes. Remove, pat dry and carefully pick off outer membranes and sinew, keeping the whole gland intact. Remove any tough visible connecting tissues. Wrap up carefully and tightly in towel or linen and place into a shallow pan. Place another pan on top, and weight it moderately and allow to sit in refrigerator for several hours, or preferably overnight. Then we either slice, bread/coat in flour or breadcrumbs and saute... season and cook whole in brown butter, while turning and basting in a pan...

poach and then coat with aromats and sauces...pick the lobes apart into small pieces, separated by the natural membranes and dredge in herbs or spices or whatever. Very tasty indeed. Still...they are what they are and some ain't buying! To me, it is still about the art and determination of education of our guests, as I could clearly confirm by the thought of why our last guest did not want to eat them, as she thought they were the "tender part of a male"...the animelle...the testicles, or as she put it, the gems down south of the border. Bless her heart...at least she tried them!