Lamb's Sweetbreads, Larded, and Asparagus is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic lamb's sweetbreads (thymus glands) that are parboiled, larded and cooked in stock with spring onions and mace before being thickened and finished with an egg and cream liaison and cooked asparagus tips. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Lamb's Sweetbreads, Larded, and Asparagus.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
LAMB'S SWEETBREADS, LARDED, AND ASPARAGUS (an Entree).
757. INGREDIENTS.—2 or 3 sweetbreads, 1/2 pint of veal stock, white pepper and salt to taste, a small bunch of green onions, 1 blade of pounded mace, thickening of butter and flour, 2 eggs, nearly 1/2 pint of cream, 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley, a very little grated nutmeg.
Mode.—Soak the sweetbreads in lukewarm water, and put them into a saucepan with sufficient boiling water to cover them, and let them simmer for 10 minutes; then take them out and put them into cold water. Now lard them, lay them in a stewpan, add the stock, seasoning, onions, mace, and a thickening of butter and flour, and stew gently for 1/4 hour or 20 minutes. Beat up the egg with the cream, to which add the minced parsley and a very little grated nutmeg. Put this to the other ingredients; stir it well till quite hot, but do not let it boil after the cream is added, or it will curdle. Have ready some asparagus-tops, boiled; add these to the sweetbreads, and serve.
Time.—Altogether 1/2 hour. Average cost, 2s. 6d. to 3s. 6d. each.
Sufficient—3 sweetbreads for 1 entrée.
Seasonable from Easter to Michaelmas.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
3 lambs' sweetbreads (thymus glands)
6 strips of lard to cover the sweetbreads
300ml veal stock
salt and white pepper, to taste
1 small bunch of spring onions
1/4 tsp ground mace
1 tbsp butter mixed to a smooth paste with 1 tbsp flour, as a thickener
2 eggs
300ml cream
1 tsp parsley, minced
freshly-grated nutmeg, to taste
200g asparagus tips, boiled until tender
Method:
Place the sweetbreads in a bowl of lukewarm water and set aside to soak for 30 minutes. At this time, drain the sweetbreads, place in a pan and cover with boiling water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes before draining and plunging into a bowl of cold water.
Lard the sweetbreads (this prevents them from drying out and use a larding needle to thread the strips securely into position) then place in a pan and add the stock, spring onions and mace. Season to taste with salt and white pepper then bring to a simmer and add the flour and butter thickening, a small piece at a time. Return to a simmer, cover and stew gently for about 20 minutes.
Whisk together the eggs and cream in a bowl then whisk in the parsley and season with a little grated nutmeg. Add two ladles of the sweetbread stock to temper then mix into the pan with the sweetbreads. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very hot (but do not boil).
Add the cooked asparagus tips, turn into a warmed bowl and serve.
