Lamb's kidneys in a rich wine and cream sauce
 

This serves two as a main dish, but would serve 4-6 as a starter. I used lamb's kidneys, which are quite small. Seemingly beef and pork kidneys require long slow braising before they become tender, so this recipe would need to be changed if you were using beef or pork kidneys.

Lamb's kidneys in a rich wine and cream sauce

2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped
150 ml heavy cream
200ml wine (1/4 bottle)
400-500gm kidneys
seasoning

1. Use scissors to cut out the central core from the kidneys.
2. Put the cream into a pot and start to simmer it to thicken it up.
2. Gently fry the onions until transparent, then add the garlic and fry a little more.
3. Raise the heat of the frying pan and add the kidneys, plus seasoning. Quickly fry them for 2-3 minutes, until they are no longer bloody, then remove them from the pan.
4. Reduce the heat and add the cream to the onions and continue to reduce the sauce until thick enough. Add the wine and simmer to reduce the sauce a little more if necessary, then add the kidneys and gently simmer them until they're completely cooked - only another minute or two.

This is a rich tasting, filling dish. The kidneys should be soft. Don't overcook them or they will go rubbery.

Thank you for this, it sounds delicious! I love lamb kidneys; my mother cooked them often during the several years my family lived in Ireland, when I was still in school. Great as part of a "mixed grill". Not easily found in the U.S., though I did get some from the butcher just a few weeks ago - when I see them I grab them! LOL When I lived in Germany I learned to like pork kidney; they need to be cooked either quickly, or long and slow. My German mother in law made a nice pork kidney stew, which I do also, when I can find them (mostly in Asian markets).

Thanks for sharing. Do the pigs kidneys end up really tender if they're cooked long enough? I hate the rubbery texture of any of the kidneys I've had when eating out in Britain. I'd love to learn a bit more about cooking offal generally, and to develop more recipes.

That recipe is a variation on one I saw Michel Roux demonstrating on a cookery show last week.. It is very rich.. probably a bit too sickly to eat a full half portion - a third portion with a side would be better, but I haven't yet thought far enough ahead to decide what type of side dish would suit it - probably brussel sprouts mashed up with butter. Next time we make the kidneys, I'd like to try some mustard added to the sauce.

I never liked kidney until I visited Barcelona and ate the sherried kidneys (rinones al jerez) in the tapas bars.. They are divine, and honestly once I discovered them, I ate them every single day for lunch. Sadly I don't know how they're made. It's a regional speciality, so the recipes for sherried kidneys which I've found online are more like the recipes found in other parts of Spain. Recently in a tapas bar in Andalucia I had the most divine kidney dish - utterly delectable with the kidneys almost as smooth and soft as a pate. I'd love to have asked the chef how he got them so tender, but my Spanish is rather limited, and I wouldn't have wanted to waste his time.. It inspired me to learn how to cook kidneys better though, and sourcing out more recipes.

Let me know if you have any tips for cooking perfect kidneys.

Here's something similar to the recipe I saw Michel Roux cook:

http://www.countrylife.co.uk/countr...tard-sauce.html

My mother in law always soaked kidneys in milk for an hour or so before cooking. I've also heard of using acidulated water - water with a dash of vinegar. Tends to make the flavor less strong - though I don't bother with lamb kidneys, as they are so mild anyway. My mother cooked beef kidneys, but I don't remember her procedure; beef kidneys rather intimidate me, with all their different lobes. Lamb and pork are easier somehow. Kidneys don't want long cooking, or else they get tough. The young ones, lamb and veal, require the least amount, pork a bit more, and beef (I believe) even more.
My MIL's kidney stew recipe:
4 pork kidneys, cut in 3/4" cubes, soaked in milk (6 or 8 lamb kidneys)
1 diced onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic (my addition; she didn't use garlic)
1 cup white mushrooms, quartered if large
1/2 cup beef stock
Pepper, salt, paprika, marjoram or thyme

Saute onion and garlic, adding the mushrooms after a few minutes. When almost cooked to your liking add the drained kidneys, and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes. Add the stock, and season to taste; bring to a boil, and then lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook another 5 minutes. MIL thickened the sauce with flour, though I do not. I also will often cut up some beef (not stew meat, but something tender because of the short cooking time), and brown the pieces, removing them from the pan before starting with the onions. I'll add them back in before the kidneys, cook till almost done, add the kidneys, and proceed as written. Essentially the beginnings of steak and kidney pie, but I don't proceed to the pie part (used to; it was very nice). I haven't made this in ages, but I think that now I would likely add some cream to the sauce.
You have me curious about the sherried kidneys; I need to go talk with my friend Mr Google LOL

Thanks for the tips and the recipe.

Good luck with surfing the web for sherried kidney recipes. The Barcelona ones are served in a generous quantity of gorgeous gravy.

I found quite a number of them, all about the same, and nothing particularly "Barcelona" of course. They all sound good.
I had a similar problem after our last trip to Spain, in 2009. We visited one particular small city - our city's newest "sister city" - and, among other gorgeous foods we tried the local morcilla (blood sausage), of which I am quite fond. It was subtly different from the sort you can find throughout Spain, and quite good. Google was actually able to help in this case, as I was able to find a recipe for the general area (Burgos), and then the variation that applied to "our" town (in English even LOL). It has, if I recall correctly, cumin and a bit of cinnamon in it. My problem now is only that I can't find pig's blood. Well, I could, at the Chinese market, but I don't want to think about the provenance (I won't eat factory pork), and my butcher who sells pastured pork only can sell blood by the 50# lot!! Oh well, I suppose that just means I shall have to take another trip to Spain (and stop in Barcelona while I'm there, for kidneys!)

We call blood sausages "black pudding" here in Scotland. The Spanish ones I've tasted were milder and sweeter - I think they contained powdered coriander seed.

I adore Spain - it is amazing, and the people are so kind and helpful towards visitors. It lures me back time and time again - it's artistic and cultural heritage is so rich. I have just checked out Burgos on Wikipedia. Wow! What a fabulous place. Hopefully one day, I'll be able to visit.

I remember black pudding from boarding school in Ireland, when my family moved there for 3 years when I was a teen; I hated it with a passion - black pudding, not Ireland LOL. But I have learned new tastes in the decades since.
Spain (Europe in general) is rather too far from Oregon for more than an occasional visit, but I have enjoyed the couple of times I've been there - as I enjoy all the places I have had the chance to visit, Scotland being another favorite.
Kirsteen, do you get the impression that you and I are the only ones on this board who get excited about kidneys? LOL

Lol. Yes. I don't blame them if their experiences of kidneys were similar to mine prior to visiting Spain.

I'm not a big fan of black pudding or blood sausage, but my boyfriend likes it, so I always taste his, out of interest. He's particularly fond of a traditional Andalucian soup made with a ham stock, blood sausage, potato and beans, etc. It's very tasty.

We are in our 8th day of icy weather (unusual for this part of Oregon), and DH has expressed a wish for pea soup with ham; I have some in the freezer from the last time I made it. As that is off my menu now I think I will defrost a couple of the lamb kidneys I bought the other week, and make this recipe for me this evening, as I happen to have everything needed in the house. How nice, on a snowy, cold day to be able to stay indoors, and play in the kitchen. And not have to brave the roads getting to the shops.

I made this this evening, and it was lovely. Absolutely NO unpleasant kidney aftertaste, just lovely onion/garlic/cream. I started with 2 lamb kidneys, about 150 g., and scaled down the recipe to fit. And it went quickly - fast food at its finest LOL. Definitely a keeper.

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Although I love ham based soups, I think that kidney recipe is better.