Devilled Kidneys on Toast, Balsamic & Raspberry Reduction

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Serving 6 people as a starter, use more if using as a lunch

Ingredients

• 12 Lambs Kidneys
• Good quality crusty bread for toasting
• Good quality Balsamic Vinegar (not the paint stripper kind)
• Tabasco Sauce
• 1 oz Butter
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Freshly Ground White Pepper, finely ground

Firstly, buy the kidneys from a good butcher. Best if you can get them with the fat on, they will be fresher. You will know they are fresh if they are plump and bright in colour, not dull, not wizened.

Remove the fat, just break it and it will come cleanly away from the kidney. You will notice that there is a thin film of membrane around the kidney too, get rid of this.

Soak your kidneys in milk over night. This will get rid of any of the ammonia smell that might be lingering. There’s nothing wrong with this smell, it doesn’t mean the kidneys are off, however, your guests might not like it, especially if they are not familiar with eating kidneys.

Half the kidney length ways to reveal a beautiful interior of dark reds and pale pinks with a whiteish kinda sinewy bit. Snip these with a pointy scissors or sharp knife and discard. Whilst doing this take care not to totally butcher the little meat, you still want it to be recognisable when you serve it.

After soaking over night, remove the kidneys from the milk and pat them dry with a paper towel.

Heat a sauté pan and add a little olive oil, let it get good and hot, just before smoking point. Add the kidneys, flat side down, let them brown on one side and then turn them. Season with salt and pepper.

Ideally you don’t want to cook the kidneys through, they’re much nicer pink. Add the balsamic vinegar. As your pan is hot, this will create fumes, make sure your extraction in on to full power. Add a few drops of Tabasco, 3 or 4 anyway, then lower the heat and add the knob of butter. The kidneys are ready to serve.

Toast your bread on both sides, making sure it’s got a nice crisp crunch. Put four kidney halves per person. Dress some rocket leaves and place them on the toast and then put the halves over the rocket. Pour the hot balsamic dressing over the meat and the leaves, this is so flavoursome you won’t want to waste a drop.

On the menu I’ve put that this is served with Balsamic and Raspberry reduction. You don’t really need this given you’ve got that lovely sticky balsamic buttery stuff in the pan. However if you do want to make it.

Balsamic and Raspberry Reduction

• 500ml Balsamic Vinegar
• 100g caster sugar

Bring to the boil, simmer until reduced by 1/ 3 rd , this will be a sticky dressing that can be drizzled easily from a squeezy bottle. Add 2 tablespoons of bought or homemade raspberry coulis.