[dropcap]When[/dropcap] I first heard sweetbreads mentioned on the final episode of My Kitchen Rules, as it was about to be prepared by Chloe and Kelly – like many people, I innocently thought they were talking about fluffy/dainty sweet breads, and my eyes glazed over as I said to myself, ‘aw, how wonderful – they’re cooking with sweet breads – I’ve always enjoyed the taste of sweet breads’, and I yawned. How wrong was I to assume this was the case, for what they soon revealed was far from what I had expected nor could possibly imagined in my wildest dream!
Instead of fluffy/honey glazed brioche or chiffon style sweet breads or the like, what the duo presented was a rather foreign/unusual slab of organ that resembled a lump of fat, or to be quite frank – a spongy gland/off-cut/growth thing – something akin to a sci-fi lab organism, and which could not be further from what I had envisioned err, sweetbreads to be.
Thank you Wikipedia, and accordingly – sweetbread/sweetbreads (also known as ‘ris’) is the poetic monikers for the thymus or the pancreas of animals, esp. that of the calf and lamb. Various other animal glands used as food may also be called sweetbreads. 1
Like many people, you’re probably thinking what on Earth?! And the words and thought of glands or pancreas may not necessarily automatically get the appetite going or make your mouth water but sweetbreads are in fact considered a delicacy (in some circles) because of their unique and wonderful taste, texture and overall character! 2
Now before you rush outside with sweetbreads on your mind, heading for your local butcher – there’s some extra info that you need to know about this mysterious yet delicious offal.
The good thing is that sweetbreads are affordable and can be quite easy to obtain. Although most likely, you’ll need to order them from your friendly butcher and wait a few days for them to arrive (like what we did).
The not so good thing is that they can be quite a chore to prepare before you can use/cook them. The prep process includes a soaking/degorging period and the fiddly manual removal of the membrane and other bits from the sweetbreads once they’ve been blanched. This necessary prep process ultimately produces a whiter and milder tasting sweetbread, which are both desirable characteristics. 3
And once they’ve been prepared, the world is your oyster – for sweetbreads are a wonderfully delicious and versatile offal that can be cooked in a multitude of ways, limited only by your imagination!
As mentioned in my previous post (Lamb’s kidney with okra and leek in black bean sauce), I advocate whole animal/nose to tail/offal consumption. So when our friendly butcher said yes, they can get sweetbreads for us – I was ecstatic and could barely sleep/wait to finally receive the mysterious parcel of sweetilicious sweetbreads, and finally see what the fuss is all about.
To savour the natural/true character of sweetbreads, I decided to keep the following recipe simple. Trying not to overpower the sweetbreads, I decided to lightly fry them in some lard first, before adding them to a stir-fry mix of broad beans, black fungus and French shallots, along with a brew of some of my favourite seasonings/sauces.
The final dish and overall flavours of the medley of ingredients was sensational to say the least, and the sweetbreads in particular lived up to its name – creamy, velvety, tender and delicately delicious. Yum!
Prepare the sweetbreads (four step process).
First, ‘degorge’ the sweetbreads: Place the sweetbreads in a large bowl. Fill with cold water to cover the sweetbreads and gently rinse. Empty the water and refill with fresh cold water. Cover and let the sweetbreads soak in the water for 12-24 hours/overnight. Change the water several times during this period.
Second, blanch the sweetbreads: Place the sweetbreads in a pot of cold water. Add 1/2 tsp of salt (optional).
Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes (or until they’re just slightly firm).
Carefully drain the sweetbreads and transfer them to a bowl of iced water.
Third, clean the sweetbreads: With your hands and fingers, carefully and gently remove/peel off any membrane, vein, fat, etc. from the sweetbreads.
Forth, press the sweetbreads: This step is optional. Place the sweetbreads on a plate/tray and wrap them up in plastic/glad wrap. Place another plate/tray on top of the sweetbread, and the place some weights (cans, jars, etc.) on top of the top plate/tray. Place in the fridge to allow the sweetbreads to be pressed for about 2 hours. Press to a thickness of about 3 cms.
Prepare the black fungus. Rehydrate them by soaking them in water for a few hours.
Wash/rinse, trim roots and put aside.
Prepare the broad beans. Pod the beans and then quickly blanch them in hot water.
Transfer them to cold water and then peel.
Prepare the French shallots. Peel, cut off the roots, and cut in half lengthways. Prepare the garlic cloves. Peel and thinly slice. Prepare the ginger. Peel and thinly slice. Prepare the chili. Wash, remove stem, and cut in half lengthways.
Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, add the Shaoxing rice wine, oyster sauce, light soy sauce and raw sugar. Mix well and put aside.
Prepare the ‘prepared’ sweetbreads. Cut the large pieces into 2 cm thick discs/medallions and put aside.
In a frypan/wok, add the lard and bring the heat to medium. Add the sliced sweetbreads and gently fry on both sides until lightly browned.
When the sweetbreads are done, remove them from the pan and put aside.
In the same frypan, add the garlic, ginger and chili, and gently fry until soft and lightly browned. Add the shallots and gently stir through.
Add the black fungus and gently stir through.
Add the sauce mix and gently stir through.
Add the verjuice, water and cracked black pepper, and gently stir through.
Add the sweetbreads back into the pan and gently stir through.
Add the broad beans and gently stir through.
Voila!! Your lamb’s sweetbreads stir-fry is now ready to be served!
Transfer to a bowl/plate and serve immediately!
Tastes amazing with hot steamed rice. Mmmm – yum!!bigsmile
- 1 kg of lamb's sweetbreads
- 1 cup of black fungus
- 10 broad beans
- 4 French shallots
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 cm piece of ginger root
- 1 chili
- 3 TBSP of Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 TBSP of oyster sauce
- 1 TBSP of light soy sauce
- 1 tsp of raw sugar
- 1 TBSP of verjuice
- ¼ cup of water
- ½ tsp of salt
- cracked black pepper
- 1 TBSP of lard/cooking oil
- Prepare the sweetbreads (four step process).
- First, 'degorge' the sweetbreads: Place the sweetbreads in a large bowl. Fill with cold water to cover the sweetbreads and gently rinse. Empty the water and refill with fresh cold water. Cover and let the sweetbreads soak in the water for 12-24 hours/overnight. Change the water several times during this period.
- Second, blanch the sweetbreads: Place the sweetbreads in a pot of cold water. Add ½ tsp of salt (optional). Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes (or until they're just slightly firm). Carefully drain the sweetbreads and transfer them to a bowl of iced water.
- Third, clean the sweetbreads: With your hands and fingers, carefully and gently remove/peel off any membrane, vein, fat, etc. from the sweetbreads.
- Forth, press the sweetbreads: This step is optional. Place the sweetbreads on a plate/tray and wrap them up in plastic/glad wrap. Place another plate/tray on top of the sweetbread, and the place some weights (cans, jars, etc.) on top of the top plate/tray. Place in the fridge to allow the sweetbreads to be pressed for about 2 hours. Press to a thickness of about 3 cms.
- Prepare the black fungus. Rehydrate them by soaking them in water for a few hours. Wash/rinse, trim roots and put aside.
- Prepare the broad beans. Pod the beans and then quickly blanch them in hot water. Transfer them to cold water and then peel.
- Prepare the French shallots. Peel, cut off the roots, and cut in half lengthways.
- Prepare the garlic cloves. Peel and thinly slice.
- Prepare the ginger. Peel and thinly slice.
- Prepare the chili. Wash, remove stem, and cut in half lengthways.
- Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, add the Shaoxing rice wine, oyster sauce, light soy sauce and raw sugar. Mix well and put aside.
- Prepare the 'prepared' sweetbreads. Cut the large pieces into 2 cm thick discs/medallions and put aside.
- In a frypan/wok, add the lard and bring the heat to medium. Add the sliced sweetbreads and gently fry on both sides until lightly browned.
- When the sweetbreads are done, remove them from the pan and put aside.
- In the same frypan, add the garlic, ginger and chili, and gently fry until soft and lightly browned.
- Add the shallots and gently stir through. Add the black fungus and gently stir through. Add the sauce mix and gently stir through. Add the verjuice, water and cracked black pepper, and gently stir through. Add the sweetbreads back into the pan and gently stir through. Add the broad beans and gently stir through.
- Voila!! Your lamb's sweetbreads stir-fry is now ready to be served! Transfer to a bowl/plate and serve immediately! Tastes amazing with hot steamed rice. Mmmm - yum!!bigsmile
Ah ha ha!! I love that you reference MKR in a post!! I remember when I first came across sweet breads, it was at a fancy restaurant and when it came out, I was squinting suspiciously at it thinking “these don’t look like BREAD”. Then I found out what it actually was and I was very dubious but I tried it anyway and I loved it!! The thing is, it has to be prepared well, either by someone who knows what they’re doing (i.e. YOU) or a good restaurant I reckon. It’s not the sort of thing to order at cheap ‘n cheerful places!! You are awesome, I do not know any other blogger that would share a sweet bread recipe!!
Hi Nagi!
Thanks for your comment. I love sweetbreads too and come to think about it, I think I might have eaten it before but in a different dish. Really enjoy watching/following MKR (and most other cooking shows, may I add), and the Chloe & Kelly duo did a great job with this dish by introducing an unfamiliar offal and presenting it deliciously! The name sweetbreads does sound pretty romantic I think, but as you can see from the first couple of photos, it does look pretty average in its raw state. But when prepared/cooked, the flavours/character is something to savour. To be honest, I think I might have slightly overcooked it when I blanched it. Lesson to self – never leave the pot unattended when cooking/blanching (even for seconds). As a result, some pieces were firmer/tougher then others, but nonetheless sweetbread. I’m sure it would taste quite exceptional when prepared by skilled/experienced chefs, and from the dish I created above, I don’t think sweetbreads is my favourite offal. Tongue, kidneys and liver for example are still some of my favourites. But as I said, I think I over-blanched them. Will revisit this sweetbreads experience/experiment again sometime soon and be extra vigilant. Best wishes Nagi!! Enjoy your long weekend! :D
Oh, you lucky duck!!! Sweetbreads have always been my very favourite form of offal [since I was presented with them a s a child back in Europe and could not get enough!] but 100 S of Sydney I sure cannot get them, cheap or otherwise!! Well, I am used to veal ones [‘ris de veau’ and all that] but more than willing to try the lamb ones and have to make another concerted effort with my butcher! Have never made them Asian-style: interesting – would like to try but am not a huge fan of broad beans so that would have to be added judiciously to try :) !!
Hello Eha!
Thanks very much for your comment. Yes, I was pretty happy/excited to find out that our local butcher could get sweetbreads for us. And with all the hype and talk about sweetbreads and its exotic/romantic name, I couldn’t wait to try and cook/prepare them. Although, I think I slightly over-blanched them, making them slightly firm/tough to work with. Next time, I ‘ll know what to do better. Yes, from my research, I discovered there’s different types/variations in sweetbreads (from different parts of the body and different animals). The ones I used for this recipe was lamb’s sweetbreads, although I’m not sure what part of the animal. I believe they were a mix of lamb’s sweetbreads which might also explain the variation in texture and taste (slightly). Nonetheless, all was delicious and a great experience! Will try and look for the veal ones next time to see if there’s much difference. Yes, this dish threw in some eastern and western influences/ingredients, but the overall/final dish worked quite well. And the accompanying steamed rice makes it all work of course. :) I love broad beans to bits. Sorry to hear you don’t like them. Perhaps you can substitute them with peas, asparagus or your favourite tasty seasonal green/veg. I’m pretty sure they will work just fine. Thanks Eha, and best wishes! Hope you are well, and enjoy your lovely long weekend!! :D
The sweetbreads looked awesome after you’ve cooked them! Great job, Padaek!
Gourmet Getaways
Hi Gourmet Getaways,
Thanks for your comment. Lol, I know right; sweetbreads in its raw state will not win first prize in a beauty contest in a hurry. Although, I don’t think any offal will, unless there’s an offal aficionado judge/contest! :D They certainly look a lot better once cooked, and they taste very good (especially with the sauces). I wonder if you’ll give this recipe a try? Thanks Julie! Hope you’re enjoying your long weekend. Best wishes! :D
Wow! What a fantastic dish with broad beans to boot (one of my favs). I’ve eaten sweetbreads before and they are delicious. I laughed out loud at the intro of your post lol :) Only you could make sweetbreads look good in photos from start to finish :)
Hi Jem!
Thanks for your comment. Sweetbreads and broad beans, who would have thought, do make quite a winning combination. And the black fungus do add a wonderful character to the blend too! When I first heard sweetbreads mentioned on MKR I thought it was going to be an average dish, and then when I realised what it really was, I was surprised/impressed and fascinated! Love learning/discovering new ingredients/recipes/things and cooking shows are a great source of inspiration. Although, some shows could do with a revamp/structure. Best wishes! :D
Sweetbreads have such a bad rap amongst many foodies, which I just don’t understand. They are
1) an efficient use of an animal’s parts
2) taste delicious! It’s merely a psychological bias that prevents us from enjoying them
3) cheap!
Thanks for enlightening your readers with the merits of sweetbread :D
Hi Michael!
Thanks for your comment. Yes, all of the above that you mentioned is true. I’ve not heard many foodies talk negatively of sweetbreads, but I can see where some of them might come from. In it’s raw state (and what it actually is), it does not immediately conjure up deliciousness. But when well prepared/cooked, sweetbreads can take on quite a wonderful/delicious form/character. I love the taste of them, although, from my own cooking experience of them as shown in this post, I don’t think it’s my #1 offal. I think they taste great, but I personally like the taste of livers and kidneys more. The fact that I slightly over-blanched/overcooked the sweetbreads might have played an influence on this. Still, a special/novel/unusual meat/ingredient to savour. You’re welcome. Perhaps, you might give cooking sweetbreads a go? Have a great long weekend! Best wishes! :D