rognons a la moutarde

For most people, watching Anthony Bourdain eat offal makes for some good television, but it does not necessarily inspire too many people to get in the kitchen and cook the stuff. So why does he always seem to shed a tear of happiness when confronted with a plate of kidneys, tongue, brain... the "nasty bits" as Bourdain calls them?

Well here's my guess. Offal is can be intimidating if you don't know how to prepare it, and turning something like tripe into a delicious dish takes some practice and skill. Whenever Bourdain eats on his show, he's already identified the best cooks and restaurants in town. Even if it's street food, he's put his fate in the hands of a nice old lady who has cooked tripe her entire life. Probably a safe bet if there ever was one. Of course put tripe in the wrong hands and it quickly becomes tough, smelly, and generally off-putting. On the other hand, when prepared by deft hands, its best qualities are revealed. Magic! Off-putting smells and textures are eliminated and it's elevated into some seriously good eats. Liver, for example, becomes sweet, blood is transformed into a rich spicy sausage, and pork trotters... well they just become the most rich, unctuous thing on the planet.



When I lived in the Bay Area I had the privilege of eating at some of the country's greatest restaurants. One of my favorite meals was at Bistro Jeanty. The fact that it's sandwiched between Ad Hoc and Bouchon and has stayed in business since 1998, never mind that it has a Michelin Star, should tell you something about the place. I only ate there once, which is not exactly a large enough sample size to put any sort of label on it. Nevertheless, the Rognons de Veau au Poivre Vert (veal kidneys with a green pepper sauce) is something I won't soon forget. As with all of the dishes on Jeanty's menu, this is a true classic. The kidneys are sauteed quickly and a mustard, green peppercorn, and mushroom sauce is made with the pan drippings. The dish comes together in less than ten minutes.Yet here I am still talking about it eight years later.

So what made the dish so spectacular? I think it just comes down to having cooks that know what they're doing and using the freshest products available. The kidneys were tender, yet with a perfect bite to them (like a great hot dog). The kidney flavor was there, but it wasn't so pronounced that it's all you could taste. Using veal kidneys helps - they're milder than beef kidneys. The mustard, peppercorn sauce doesn't hurt either. There are a lot of strong flavor there. In the end, it's just a really simple - and perfect - dish, and the cooks just knew how to execute it.

I was at the supermarket recently and noticed some very fresh looking veal kidneys. Now this isn't something you normally come across in most supermarkets. Even at the largest Whole Foods you'll probably need to place a special order for them. Luckily for me, I have easy access to this type of stuff at the Dekalb Farmer's Market and the Buford Highway Farmer's Market, neither of which are actual Farmer's Markets... but let's not go down that road today. And so when I noticed a large batch of fresh kidneys next to hearts, tongues, and brain at Dekalb, I immediately remembered my meal at Bistro Jeanty and was off and running, kidneys in hand.

There are some great cookbooks on how to cook and prepare offal. Primary among them is Fergus Henderson's Nose to Tail Eating. I would highly recommend that book to anyone interested in learning more about how to skillfully prepare any offal you can think of. This time however, I wanted that traditional bistro dish that I remembered from Napa, and so I turned to Anthony Bourdain Les Halles Cookbook. Bourdain's sauce was simplified in that it had no mushrooms or green peppercorns (though these would have been great additions). The kidneys cook 4 minutes a side, and the sauce comes together in just a few minutes. The verdict? There's a reason this dish is a classic. It's not exactly very pretty, but it sure is tasty. Not a bad place to start if you're inclined to give the "nasty bits" a try in your kitchen.

Rognons de Veau a la Moutarde (Serves 4)

2 veal kidneys, cleaned

1 tbsp oil

2 tbsp butter

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tbsp dijon mustard

parsley for garnish

Directions

Cut Kidneys into small pieces, season with salt and pepper

Cook kidneys with 1 tbsp oil and 1tbsp butter over high heat, 2 minutes a side

Reduce heat to medium, cook 2 more minutes on each side

Remove kidneys from pan, drain excess fat, add butter back into pan

Cook shallots until soft, about 3 minutes on medium high heat

Add white wine and chicken stock to deglaze. Simmer 5 minutes.

Whisk in mustard and serve kidneys with the sauce spooned over the top. 

Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

(Make sure to have lots of fresh bread on hand to mop up the sauce)