Sheep's kidneys are by far the best; next come veal and pig's, while bullock's kidney is as a rule hard and strong, but admirably adapted for making gravy.

Kidneys, Grilled And Devilled

Pepper and salt the kidney; if bullock's it must be cut up into pieces not larger than half a sheep's. If a sheep's, pig's, or calf's kidney, cut it open, leaving the two halves joined by the cord in the middle; some people, however, prefer them grilled whole. Grill (see No. 5), and moisten the kidney while grilling with a little dripping or butter. When cooked, they should be red and juicy in the middle.

A little piece of butter mixed with some chopped parsley should be placed on each when cooked.

To devil kidneys, use cayenne in addition to pepper and salt before cooking. Some devil sauce (see Devil Sauce) may be added.

Fried Kidneys

Kidneys of all kinds can be cooked in a frying-pan, in a little butter. Be careful not to overdo them; they should be red when cut. A little water, flour, pepper and salt added to the fat in the frying-pan will make a good gravy.

Stewed Kidneys

Cut the sheep's, pig's, or calf's kidneys into halves, separating the halves, and the bullock's kidneys into pieces about the size of half a sheep's kidney. Brown the outside quickly, in a frying-pan with a very little fat or butter, but do not cook them; then place them in some rich brown gravy to stew (see No. 2) very gently. Fry a few small button onions in the frying-pan, after you have browned the outside of the kidneys, till the onions are nice and brown outside, and add these to the stewed kidneys. Season with pepper and salt. Stewed kidneys, to be nice, should be stewed for some time in gravy not much hotter than can be called "fairly warm." Make hot very slowly, and when sufficiently hot, serve. If the gravy once boils, the kidneys will be quite hard. A tablespoonful of sherry may be added to a pint of gravy.

Kidney Soup

A good soup can be made from tinned kidneys by adding the gravy to some good gravy or Stock No. 3 (see No. 10), boiling the kidneys in it, and then rubbing all the kidneys through a wire sieve. The kidneys themselves, unless treated this way, are hard and indigestible. Flavour with pepper and salt, and some fried onion rubbed through the sieve with the kidney; one large onion to a tin. Add a little sherry. The best wine for kidneys is undoubtedly champagne. If by chance a little has been left in a bottle, dead, this is an admirable means of utilising it.