If I were to be restricted to only one kind of ‘offal’ or related parts for the rest of my life, it would be an impossible choice. Chicken livers or hearts? Blood sausage? Haggis? I’d sooner give up chocolate or ice cream!
But high on my list would be kidneys; lamb / mutton by preference, pig by availability; beef not so much. I have managed in my life to convert offal haters to kidneys; if not to fallopian tubes!
Pig's Kidney
Two recipes spring mind for these conversions. The first is western-type recipe by Delia Smith for lamb kidneys in red wine, a recipe which converted my son's best friend who definitely couldn’t eat kidneys as he would probably immediately die, howling in agony. Or perhaps not.
The second is a Chinese (Sichuan) treatment detailed in The Food of Sichuan (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) by Fuchsia Dunlop. 火爆腰花 (huǒ bào yāo huā ) which she translates as fire-exploded kidney ‘flowers’*, is a pig kidney dish which are basically stir-fried with vegetables. The special part of the recipe and the dish is in the cross-cutting of the kidneys prior to cooking.
* I'd translate it as 'fiery kidney flowers'.
Usually I can only get pig kidneys but I have successfully made the Smith recipe with those, too. Occasionally, lamb kidneys turn up, once tucked away unnoticed in a piece of lamb belly. Even more rarely, I can get them with the suet still in place. Heaven!
Lamb kidney in lamb belly
Lamb kidneys in suet - image from advertisement on Meituan online shopping portal in China.
Kidneys seem to go with almost everything. Sometimes I do them in western recipes and sometimes Chinese. I’ve even done a Chinese take on that old favourite, steak and kidney pie!
As with so much offal, cleaning is important but kidneys are easy. Just lay the kidney on the board and slice in half lengthwise keeping the knife blade parallel to the board, remove the exterior membrane and cut out as much of the fat in the centre as you can manage and you’re good to go. Again a light cook is all that is needed unless you have beef kidneys; they require long slow cooking.
Kidneys seem to go with almost everything. Here a few dishes I’ve made. There are many more.
Steak and kidney with spinach, new potatoes and mustard
Pork kidneys with mushrooms and rIce
Pork kidneys with okra and mash
Breakfast - Devilled pork kidneys
Kidneys and mushrooms with hothouse chives
Versatile ingredient
