Sweetbreads are the glands from a sheep’s throat and pancreas, and very delicious they are too. Lots of sweetbread recipes will tell you to blanch them before peeling and sautéing. I tend not to do this because at the time of the year we have them on the menu the new season lambs provide sweetbreads that are small and tender with very little outer casing. Also, the mustardflour crust allows the sweetbread to properly caramelise so the skin is broken down and just becomes crispy.
Serves 6 as a main course or more for sharing.
Serves 6 as a main course or more for sharing.
Lamb Sweetbreads with heritage Carrots, Sweet onions & Mustard Seeds Recipe
Ingredients
- 500g lamb sweetbreads
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 120g unsalted butter
- 1 curly endive lettuce, leaves torn into pieces
- 2 colourful heritage carrots, peeled, cut lengthways and then into matchsticks
For the mustard seed emulsion
- 60g black mustard seeds
- 60g yellow mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon English mustard powder
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 200ml rapeseed oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make
- Begin by making the mustard seed emulsion. Blanch the black and yellow mustard seeds in a small pan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain through a sieve, discarding the bitter water. Put the blanched mustard seeds in a bowl with the Dijon mustard, honey and English mustard powder. Add the vinegar and then slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly to form a thick emulsion. Season with salt and pepper.
- Heat a large, heavy-based frying pan over a moderate heat. Put the flour in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dip the sweetbreads in the seasoned flour, coating them on all sides. Then add the sweetbreads to the pan and cook for 4 minutes, adding a few knobs of butter as they cook and basting the sweetbreads while turning them to create an even colour on all sides.
- To serve, arrange the endive leaves and raw carrots on a plate, spoon over the hot sweetbreads, and drizzle with the mustard seed emulsion.
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