Deviled Kidneys with Leftover Brussel Sprouts and Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Fergus Henderson has a recipe for Deviled Kidneys in his book, The Whole Beast. He introduces it as “The perfect breakfast on your birthday, with a glass of Black Velvet (half Guiness and half Champagne).” If this dish is good enough for a birthday breakfast, it was definitely something we needed to try. And wait, did that say breakfast? Should we be eating kidney for breakfast?! Yes, we should. See, it says ‘breakfast’ right there in the book.
I prefer the idea of a savory breakfast, but try to add variation to the schedule for the sake of the kids. I grew up eating hot breakfasts most days and still take the time as an adult. So cooking up some kidneys doesn’t require extra time or effort. Nor would it come as a surprise.
If not for fear of an eventual revolt by the kids, I would happily serve them eggs pretty much every day. On days that I don’t eat them for breakfast, I often find them on top of a salad for lunch. They are easily one of my favorite foods. I’m also happy with soup and do try to serve up broth as a side, especially as it gets cold, as often as I can. Will and Susan add a bit of kraut juice to their morning broth; I prefer kimchi juice, but still.
Organs for breakfast?!
Turkey innards with bacon, over turnip mashed potatoes.
It used to be that our pastured chickens would come with the organs inside. Back then, I’d occasionally have a Tupperware with the heart, liver and gizzard the day after the chicken was cooked. I would often end up chopping these finely, mixing with bacon, and adding to an omelet. In fact, I did that a couple weeks ago with our turkey innards the weekend after Thanksgiving.
So that was probably our first run with organs at breakfast. Meanwhile, Fergus Henderson simply changed the way that we think about kidneys. We’re happy to have them any time of day, but they not an uncommon breakfast food. This measured by the omission of surprise or complaint when we announce that’s what we’re serving.
Whole kidney with cleaned lobes
Most often, we serve this with a generous serving of green beans or broccoli, pulled from a bag in the freezer and steamed in minutes to accompany breakfast. Leftover mashed potatoes or sourdough toast would be a nice addition as well, if handy, especially if you are serving guests.
Our morning version is a mere suggestion of the original, but does survive in time of day. It has been served on most (of the adult) birthdays in our home for the past few years now. Would you add this to your birthday menu? It’s a great way to start a new year!
Notes
At this point, I don’t flour the kidneys, I just lay them on the plate and season the lobes on each side, as mentioned. However, when my husband read this, he insisted that I include a variation that includes flouring the kidneys, and definitely adding cayenne, as you get used to the flavor of kidney in it’s own right. To do that, get a low bowl and add ¼ cup arrowroot (or flour), and mix in all the spices, including a dash of cayenne. Mix all together with a fork or whisk and then dredge each kidney into this mixture before pan-frying.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb lamb kidneys
- 1/4 c arrowroot powder (optional, see note)
- 1/2 t (mineral-rich) salt
- 1/8 t pepper
- 1/4 t mustard powder
- 1/4 t paprika
- 1/8 t cayenne (optional)
- 2 T butter
- 1/4 t Worchestershire sauce
- 1/2 c chicken broth
Instructions
- Trim a package of lamb kidneys: peel the white skin off of them, if it remains. If you make a small slit on it, it should slide right off. Use shears or a knife to cut out most or all of the white gristle in the middle. Cut each kidney in half the long way and place face down on a plate, until you have your plate of lobes.
- Season the lobes on each side first with a generous pinch of salt, followed by pepper, mustard powder, and paprika. Optional: cayenne (The only reason I would omit the cayenne is to keep small people from freaking out. I definitely prefer to add it.)
- Heat the butter in the pan on medium high until the foaming subsides and lay each lobe to sauté. Brown on each side, flipping with tongs - about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side and perhaps a minute less on the second.
- Add a tiny dash of Worchestershire sauce and the broth to the pan to scrape up the brown bits. Cook this down for just a moment and pour over the kidneys. Happy birthday!
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