Offal
Kidneys, liver, oxtail, tripe and tongue are of the most popular offal to cook. We take a look at the finer points of this cuisine that has moved from poor-man's food to gourmet's delicacy.
Kidneys should be firm and smell sweet. To prepare lambs' kidneys,
remove the surrounding fat, peel off the skin and slice them in half. Cut out the core with a sharp knife or pair of kitchen scissors. Kidneys can be grilled, fried briefly or simmered slowly for a long time. Ox kidneys are multi-lobed and large. Slow cooking is required. Individual pig, lamb or veal kidneys require quick cooking.
Dark and strong flavoured, liver is an acquired taste but is the most nutritious and widely eaten offal, being rich in protein and iron. It is sold whole or in slices. Remove the membrane to prevent the liver curling when cooked. Cut away any fat or gristle. Pigs' liver is less delicate and will become more tender if soaked in milk before cooking. It is ideal for terrines or pâtés. Calves' liver is the best kind, but it is difficult to find. Fried liver is delicious if cooked very lightly and rapidly, leaving it pink inside. Lambs' liver is deeper in colour and has less flavour, but it is always tender and excellent cooked with bacon or onions. Before cooking liver, soak it in milk to make it more tender and less dry, and also to neutralise the smell a bit.
Oxtail makes a richly flavoured meal. Choose fat, large tails, which have
plenty of meat on them and have been jointed, ready for cooking. The meat
should be dark and clean and the fat, creamy white. Allow one tail for three to
four people. Oxtail requires long, slow cooking to develop the flavour and release the gelatine, resulting in a tender, sticky stew. It is best cooked the day before eating and allowed to cool completely overnight. The fat will rise to the surface and can be removed easily before re-heating. Oxtail re-heats well.
Ox tongues usually weigh about 1,4 to 2kg and are sold fresh or salted.
Tongue is a smooth, flavoursome meat. It should be soft to touch. Soak salted
tongue overnight to remove the salt, then simmer for three hours or more until
tender. Skin it while it is hot and serve it hot, sliced, with a sauce. Serve cold tongue sliced up with pickles, mustard or horseradish sauce.
Tripe comes from an ox and is the lining of the stomach. Buy it from the
butcher cleaned and blanched to reduce the cooking time. If you buy tripe that hasn't been parboiled, add a drop or two of vanilla essence to the pot to reduce the smell. ripe should look white and fresh. At home, soak the tripe for 5 to 10 minutes in cold water, rinse thoroughly and cut into strips or 5cm/2inch sqaures. Tripe is cooked further by poaching for an hour or two until tender, then it's drained and sautéed with onions or coated with breadcrumbs and deep-fried. Tripe can also be braised with vegetables and Calvados (apple brandy).
Perparing liver To tone down its strong flavour, liver may be soaked in milk, but it shouldn't be blanched as this will touen it. Divide the lobes of the liver and cut off any exposed ducts or connective tissue. Using your fingers, peel of the opaque outer membrane. If slising liver, cut diagonally into slices. Remove any internal ducts from the slices.
