The Italian Cook Book Part 17

150

VEAL KIDNEY WITH ANCHOVY

(Rognone alle acciughe)

Take a veal kidney, remove the fat, cut it open and cover with boiling water. When the water has cooled, remove the kidney, wipe with a cloth, and pa.s.s through it clean sticks to make it stay open. Season with melted b.u.t.ter, salt and pepper and leave it so prepared for an hour or two.

Then take another piece of b.u.t.ter and two or three anchovies. Clean the latter, chop and mix with the b.u.t.ter with the blade of a knife, making a ball. Cook the kidney on the grill, but not too much, in order to keep it tender, put it on a plate and grease when hot with the ball of b.u.t.ter and anchovies.

151

VEAL KIDNEY SLICED

(Rognone di vitello affettato)

Cut in thin slices one or two veal kidneys, removing the granulous part that is to be found in the middle, and put the slices in a saucepan with a piece of b.u.t.ter, a bunch of parsley chopped very fine together with a clove of garlic. Add a cup of hot broth; salt moderately and let it cook without boiling, until the sauce is reduced to about one third.

One tablespoonful of vinegar adds a pleasant taste to this dish.

152

BROILED MUTTON KIDNEY

(Rognone di montone alla graticola)

After was.h.i.+ng the kidneys, remove the filmy skin that covers them and cut them in the middle without, however, detaching completely the two parts. Season with salt and pepper, grease with oil and put them on a strong fire on the grill. After ten or twelve minutes they will be broiled. Serve hot with parsley and slices of lemon.

153

MUTTON KIDNEY FRIED

(Granelli di montone fritti)

Wash, remove the skin that covers the kidneys and cut in very thin slices. Wipe with a cloth, dip first in ground bread crumbs, then in a beaten egg mixed with melted b.u.t.ter, then again in the bread crumbs.

This must be done rapidly, at the time of frying, otherwise the bread crumbs absorb the moisture of the kidney and make them too hard.

Melt a piece of b.u.t.ter in a saucepan on a strong fire and when it begins to brown, dip the slices of kidney. Turn often, sprinkle with a little parsley chopped fine, salt and serve with lemon.

154

BEEF TONGUE BOILED

(Lingua di bue lessa)

The tongue is boiled like the beef. When half cooked remove the skin, which is not nice to see and has no nutritious elements, although it is served with a puree of peas, or spinach or potatoes or beans, etc.

But it can be served simply with sprigs of parsley.

155

BEEF TONGUE WITH OLIVES

(Lingua di bue alle olive)

Scald the tongue and peel off the skin. Then put it back to boil until fully cooked.

Melt a piece of b.u.t.ter and brown half a medium sized onion cut in slices. When the onion is browned remove it from the b.u.t.ter and dilute in the latter a teaspoonful of flour. When the flour begins to brown, thin it with one or two cups of soup stock hot and pa.s.sed through a sieve. Mix and boil for ten minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.

When the sauce is prepared place the tongue in the saucepan containing it and let it cook again on a low fire for about an hour, turning it over frequently and keeping it moistened with the gravy. Cut some olives in a spiral to remove the stone and place it in the saucepan with the tongue. This becomes more tasty if left with the olives for one or two days.

156

STEWED BEEF TONGUE

(Lingua di bue in stufato)

Clean a fresh tongue of beef; put it in a plate, salt it generously and put it back in the ice-box or in the pantry, until the following day.

After twenty-four hours, scald it in boiling water, skin and lard with little pieces of bacon and put it in a kettle or a large saucepan in which the seasoning is already placed. This seasoning consists of 1/2 lb. bacon cut in very thin slices, 1/4 lb. b.u.t.ter, one or two thin slices of ham and two middle sized onions, sliced. Sprinkle the tongue with flour, surround it with chopped meat and place the saucepan on the fire. When the tongue begins to brown, pour five or six cups of soup stock and one cup of water. Add the usual bunch of greens, two or three cloves, salt, a pinch of pepper and one of cinnamon.

Cover the saucepan tightly, boil for about four hours, rub the sauce through a sieve and serve everything hot.

157

VEAL SWEETBREADS

(Animelle di vitello)

Keep in fresh water for an hour. Then place them in a skimmer (ladle with holes) and dip in boiling water or broth. After a brief boiling remove and cool in cold water. Then remove the veins and gullet, taking care not to tear them. The sweetbreads are prepared in various ways and here we give some of the best known:

=Sweetbreads with b.u.t.ter.=--Boil in broth or water, clean and cut into slices. Brown a piece of b.u.t.ter with salt and pepper. Then place the sliced sweetbreads and brown them. Before serving squeeze on a little lemon juice. The sweetbreads prepared in this way are served preferably with rice or vegetables.

=Sweetbreads with white sauce.=--Boiled, cleaned and cut into slices, they are placed in white sauce or =balsamella= (No. 54) adding a taste of nutmeg, pepper, salt and the juice of half a lemon.

=Sweetbreads in frica.s.see.=--Boil, trim and cut into pieces. Then brown in b.u.t.ter with a scallion chopped fine. Once browned, remove from the gravy in which pour a tablespoonful of flour, moistened with broth. The sauce that results is bound with egg-yolks and lemon juice.

=Sweetbreads fried.=--Boil and trim. Then cut in large slices, neither too thick nor too thin. Dip in beaten egg and in bread crumbs ground.

Then fry in b.u.t.ter. Serve with vegetables.

158