Braised Sweetbreads Marsala With Honey Mushrooms Recipes

SWEETBREADS AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• To blanch sweetbreads, first wash in cold water, then place in a bowl and soak for about 2 hours in several changes of cold water . Pull off as much membrane and filament as you can without tearing the flesh. Soak for another 2 hours, this time adding 1 tablespoon of vinegar per quart of cold water. Pull off the filament and remove connecting tubes between lobes, if present. Place sweetbreads in a saucepan and cover by about two inches with boiling water. Add the salt and lemon juice (1 tsp salt and 1 tablespoon lemon juice per quart of water). Bring to a bare simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and plunge into cold water for 5 minutes. Drain.
• When ready to cook, cut the blanched sweetbreads into bite-size cubes and brown them in the butter in a roomy skillet (You may need to brown them in two batches so as not to crowd them). Remove the sweetbreads to a plate. In the same skillet quickly brown the mushrooms over a brisk flame, adding more butter if needed. Add the lemon juice to the skillet and cook, covered, for 3 minutes.
• Return the sweetbreads to the skillet and add the chicken stock, tomato paste, sherry (I actually prefer dry marsala -- port or madeira would probably be OK, too), and bay leaf. Simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add pepper. Dissolve the arrowroot in the white wine and add to skillet to thicken.
• The sweetbreads may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before reheating.

BRAISED SWEETBREADS MARSALA WITH HONEY MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• The night before or the morning of the day you plan to cook your sweetbreads, or at least several hours before, put them in a small pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Squeeze the juice of the half-lemon into the pot, and add a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to a lively simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Drain the sweetbreads, and plunge them into cold water. When they are cool enough to handle, carefully open up the lobes just enough to ease out some of the connective tissue. You won't get it all, but don't worry. Now put the sweetbreads on a small plate, put another plate on top, and set something heavy on it-a jar of jam or a soup can. Refrigerate for an hour or so, or overnight.
• About 20 minutes before cooking, soak the dried honey mushrooms in 3/4 cup warm water.
• When ready to cook, melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté the shallot until softened. Break the sweetbreads up into about six pieces, following the lobes, and dredge the pieces in lightly salted flour. Toss them into the pan, and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until lightly browned. Pour in a good splash of Marsala, and let it cook down until almost evaporated. Strain the soaked honey mushrooms, reserving the straining water, and toss them into the pan. Sauté together for another minute before adding the mushroom soaking liquid and the glace de viande or stock. Turn the heat down, cover, and let braise for about 10 minutes, checking frequently to see that there is enough sauce, and adding a little water and/or stock as necessary. Taste, correct seasonings, and add some freshly ground pepper.
• Enjoy this delight with some steamed new potatoes and/or fresh peas or other compatible seasonal vegetable.
• Of course, different kinds of mushrooms can be substituted, including fresh, but I find that using at least some dried mushrooms gives an intensity to the sauce. And Madeira is every bit as good as Marsala here.

SIMPLE BRAISED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat another 30 seconds. Add the shallot and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the hot pan and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until fragrant and beginning to soften. Add the mushrooms to the pan along with another 1/2 teaspoon salt and the thyme. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have let off some of their juices are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Deglaze with the Marsala, if using, and add the broth and remaining salt. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about an additional 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs, stir in the butter and serve.

MUSHROOMS MARSALA

Steps:

• Clean and take stems off (optional) the mushrooms.
• Place mushrooms in a sauce pan at medium to high heat, sprinkle them with the salt and cover them almost completely with a lid for about 8-9 minutes. Stir them a couple of times just so they don't burn.
• You want them to render just about all of their water, reducing them in size and growing in flavor. Once they've rendered just about all their water and the bottom of the pot is dry.
• Add the oil, the basil and the garlic and saute, browning the mushrooms a bit and always stirring so that the garlic does not burn.
• After about 1 minute of sauteing add the balsamic vinegar and stir for about 30 seconds (the balsamic should boil as it hits the pan) and keep stirring.
• Lastly, turn the heat a little bit higher and add the marsala wine, stirring and deglacing the bottom of the saucepan as well as burning off the alcohol.
• Continue to stir for 1 minute or so until the balsamic and marsala sauce begin to thicken a bit. Take off the heat and let it cool.

SWEETBREADS WITH MADEIRA SAUCE

Steps:

• Place the sweetbreads in a saucepan and add cold water to cover. Add salt, bay leaf,parsley,thyme and peppercorns. Bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
• Slice each lobe on the bias into four pieces of equal thickness. Sprinkle the slices on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Dredge the slices in flour and shake off excess.
• Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, heavy skillet. Add the sweetbread slices and cook 5 minutes on one side or until golden brown and slightly crisp. Turn the slices and cook 5 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a heated platter.
• Pour off any fat remaining in the skillet and add 1 tablespoon butter. Add the shallots and mushrooms and stir. Cook until the mushrooms are wilted.
• Sprinkle the mushroom mixture with the Madeira and stir. Add the broth and tomato paste, and bring to a boil. Add the sweetbread slices in one layer. Cover closely and cook 5 minutes.
• Transfer the sweetbread slices to a warm platter. Swirl the remaining tablespoon of butter into the sauce and pour it over the sweetbreads. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

SWEETBREADS BRAISED IN WILD MUSHROOM BROTH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, ground clove, salt and black pepper and dust the sweetbreads. Warm a cast-iron skillet over high heat, spray with vegetable oil and quickly sear each sweet bread and remove.
• Place each sweetbread in the bottom of a small, ovenproof bowl. Top each with a mushroom slice. Add the soy sauce to the mushroom broth and divide evenly among the four bowls. Top each with thyme, scallions and minced tomato. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and serve.

BRAISED MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Wash the mushrooms and remove or trim any long stems if you want a "dressier" dish. Otherwise it's fine to leave them on. Pat the mushrooms dry with a paper towel.
• Saute mushrooms in butter and olive oil at medium high heat until mushrooms are browned.
• Continue to cook at medium heat as the juices are released from the mushrooms. Simmer the mushrooms until the juices are reduced to almost dry.
• Add beef stock (and red wine if desired) and continue simmering until the stock has reduced to a sauce-like consistency.