For you fans of organ meats, here’s a bonus blog. Last week, liver; this week it’s kidneys. But, in spite of several requests, I won’t be delving into brains, “balls,” pig’s blood or sweetbreads just yet. Nor the Madrid tapa bar specialties, gallinejas, fried lambs’ intestines, and entresijos, pieces of mesentery, nor zarajos, lambs’ tripe wrapped on skewers like a skein of yarn, a favorite in La Mancha. (You can see how zarajos are made on this TV clip here.)
Here’s a really simple way to prepare lambs’ kidneys, skewered with mushrooms and shallots and grilled.
Moderate the heat so that the kidneys cook through before they brown too much on the outside. High heat tends to toughen this tender meat.
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| Simple and delicious: split lambs' kidneys and skewer them with mushrooms, shallots and bacon. They are quickly grilled on a plancha or skillet. |
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| Serve the kebabs as a tapa or main dish. |
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| Grill kidneys on moderate heat. They're perfect just a tiny bit pink inside. |
Lamb Kidney Kebabs
Brochetas de Riñones de Cordero
Lambs’ kidneys
Milk
Mushrooms, cut in half
Strips of red bell pepper
Cubes of bacon
Wedges of shallot
Pinch of fresh thyme
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
Cut the kidneys in half, remove the kernel of white fat and wash away any blood. (If using larger veal kidneys, cut them in quarters.) Soak the pieces in milk for 15 minutes. Drain well and pat dry. (Discard milk.)
Soak 6-inch wood or bamboo skewers in water for 15 minutes.
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| Kidneys skewered with mushrooms. |
Thread pieces of kidney, mushroom halves, strips of red pepper, cubes of bacon and wedges of shallot on the skewers. Sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.
Place a plancha or cast iron skillet on moderate heat. Brush the plancha with oil. Lay the skewers on the plancha and grill them, without moving them, 5 minutes. Drizzle them with additional oil.
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| Grill the skewered kidneys on a plancha or cast iron skillet. |
Use a spatula to lift and turn each skewer. Grill them 5 minutes more. Serve hot.
Another recipe for kidneys, plus some more recipes with Sherry, just in time for International Sherry Week, this year November 2-8:
For fans of offal (variety meats), more recipes that have appeared in the blog:
