637. - Sweetbreads

For every mode of dressing, sweetbreads should be prepared by blanching, or rather parboiling them.

They may be larded and braised; and, being of themselves rather insipid, they will be improved by a relishing sauce, and by a large quantity of herbs in the braise. Slices of lemon put upon the sweetbreads while braising, will heighten the flavor and keep them white, which is very desirable when sent to table with white sauce. Stuffed with oysters, they make a very good vol-au-vent.

638. - Sweetbreads A La Daube

Blanch two or three of the largest sweetbreads; lard them; put them into a stewpan. with some good veal gravy, a little browning, and the juice of half a lemon; stew them till quite tender, and just before serving thicken with flour and butter*; glaze them; serve with their gravy, with bunches of boiled celery round the dish.

639. - Sweetbreads Stewed

After blanching, stuff them with a forcemeat of fowl, fat and lean bacon, an anchovy, nutmeg, lemon-peel, parsley, and a very little cayenne and thyme; when well mixed, add the yolks of two eggs, and fill the sweetbreads. Fasten them together with splinter-skewers, and lay them in a pan, with slices of veal over, and bacon under them; season with pepper and salt, mace, cloves, herbs, and sliced onion; cover close over the fire ten minutes, then add a quart of broth, and stew gently two hours; take out the sweetbreads, strain and skim the broth, and boil it to half a pint; warm the sweetbreads in it, and serve with lemon round.

640. - Fried

Cut them in slices about three-quarters of an inch thick, dry and flour, egg them, and dip them in fine bread-crumbs; fry them of a light brown; serve on spinach, endive, or sorrel; or cut some toasted bread, dish them on it, and serve them with a sauce piquante.

For an invalid, boil them well, cover them with bread-crumbs, a little pepper and salt, with a small bit of butter; brown them lightly with a salamander.

641. - Roasted

Blanch, dry, egg and bread-crumb them; pass a small skewer through each; tie on a spit; roast gently; baste with fresh butter; serve nicely frothed, and a mushroom sauce under them.

642. - Sweetbreads Fricasseed White

Blanch and slice them; thicken some veal gravy with flour and butter mixed; a little cream; a little mushroom powder, and add white pepper, nutmeg, and grated lemon-peel; stew these ingredients together a little, then simmer the sweetbreads twenty minutes. When taken off the fire, add a little salt and lemon-peel; stir well, and serve.

643. - If Fricasseed Brown

Cut them about the size of a walnut, flour, and fry them of a fine brown; pour to them a good beef gravy, seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne, and allspice; simmer till tender; thicken with flour and butter. Morels, truffles, and mushrooms may be added, and mushroom ketchup.

644. - Croquettes

Take two sweetbreads or half a pound of roast veal, one onion chopped fine, mixed with a small piece of butter, one egg, and a little cream; season with white pepper, cayenne, and salt. This will make eight or nine croquettes. Roll them in egg and then in bread-crumbs; fry them in lard a nice brown color; strew them in a circle round the dish, and serve fried parsley in the centre.

Cold veal chopped, and stewed in a little gravy, and when cold made up as above, makes excellent rissoles.