Once upon a time, a rat with an exceptional sense of smell determines he wants to cook. “Anyone can cook,” he is told.
He’s separated from his family and ends up as an assistant secretly cooking in one of the finest restaurants in Paris. After discovering he’s a rat, the rest of the kitchen staff quit and he’s forced to prepare a meal by himself for the leading food critic in France.
Reunited with his family, they join his trusted friends to help him prepare the eponymous dish, which is a smashing success.
“Anyone can cook.”
French gastronomy
It’s no coincidence that Remy floated into Paris for his culinary adventure.
French cuisine is synonymous with culinary excellence. Mastering French techniques brings pride and respect, and is a requirement for culinary education.
The traditional French diet seems to be practical (seasonal), humble (head to tail), and refined (delicious).
Meanwhile, preparation and eating are not rushed.
Thomas Keller explains perhaps why I love French cooking so much.
At La Rive, I had become interested in offal, the innards that were in abundance in the rural Hudson Valley in the early 1980s – brains, kidneys, liver, testicles, stomach, lungs. The owners of La Rive, who were French, loved offal because in France it is cooked beautifully…
Just for good measure, let me repeat that… “loved offal because in France it is cooked beautifully.”
Kidneys in Butter-Mustard and Parsley Sauce
Lucky for us, Julia Child wrote some of this down – in her usual accessible and thorough way.
And so even if you don’t speak French (check), or haven’t staged in a Michelin-starred French restaurant (check), or haven’t spent days/months/years learning techniques from your very own French Lulu (check), you can still go down to your local public library and pick up a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking and follow along if you’d like to learn how to cook offal beautifully.
Kidneys in Mustard-Butter and Parsley Sauce is a simple and elegant dish. Like Chicken Liver Mousse, I’ve adapted this recipe from Julia Child. In this case, her portion sizes almost seem outlandish. So few people would eat such a large serving of kidney these days, but I appreciate the context of what used to be normal.
Certainly in this case, thanks to Julia Child, “Anyone can cook.”
Kidneys in Butter-Mustard Sauce à la Julia Child
Notes
Use one beef kidney (2+lbs) , 2-3 veal kidneys (1lb each) or 2 lamb kidneys per person.
Ingredients
- 7 T softened butter, divided
- 1 1/2 T dijon mustard
- 1 beef kidney
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1/2 c dry white wine
- 1 T lemon juice
- salt
- pepper
- 1/4 c parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Mash 3 tablespoons of softened butter with the mustard in a ramekin. Mix well with a fork and reserve.
- Prepare the kidney. Keeping the kidney whole, peel off any filament and using a paring knife, cut away the knob of fat in the middle. As you move around the kidney removing the fat, take away any obvious connective tissue as well. If you don't get all the fat or connective tissue, it's ok. You don't want to pare away too much (or any) of the kidney itself either.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of butter in a pan (that will snugly hold your kidney whole) over medium-high heat. Wait while the butter foams. Then, as the foaming subsides, add the kidney whole to the pan. Cook for about 10 minutes, turning every couple of minutes. Keep the heat steady so that the kidney cooks, but the butter does not brown. If your kidney fits your pan well, this is easier to do; if there is extra space in the pan, you may need to lower the heat a little to keep the butter from burning. The kidney may brown a little, but should not cook through. When all the sides are cooked and the kidney is still bouncy to poke and pink in the middle, remove it to a plate.
- While keeping the cooked kidney juices and butter in the pan, add the minced shallots. Cook for a minute or two until soft, then add the wine and lemon juice together. Turn up the heat for a moment and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat a bit, but continue to boil off the liquid until it has reduced to about half.
- Remove the pan from the heat. Add your reserved mustard butter, a spoonful at a time - stirring it into your sauce - until it is all combined. Season your sauce with salt and pepper.
- Return to your reserved kidney. Slice the kidney crosswise and season with salt and pepper. Return these seasoned slices and their juices to the pan with your sauce. Add parsley to the pan and mix well for just a minute over low heat to warm the kidney through (without cooking any further!). When slices are evenly covered in sauce, serve immediately!
Hey Janin, I am 200% sold on kidney. This dish is easy and absolutely heavenly culinary!
Yeah. Took a bit of time to get that fat out. I had 1 lb beef kidney, still kept most of the amounts in your recipe though. Wow, I didn’t think you could cook kidney this short.
Nice and tender.
I served it to myself with some roasted fresh farm vegs and purple roasted potatoes. Plus a farm fresh salad with a home made basil/ACV/lemon/garlic dressing.
What’s next?
Thanks for your inspiration!
Dear Saskia,
I think it takes some courage to try this dish, but I agree that it’s divine! Thanks for posting your success, hopefully it will encourage others to try it as well! Yes, kidneys are far more mild than liver, but for some reason, the cultural stigma is higher. We like all these recipes, but recently remade the kidney shawarma.
What _is_ next?! 🙂 I have some recipes for chicken feet, marrow custard and tripe pasta in the queue for posting. But in the past, I’ve always just relied on what my farmer might have on discount and then I take it from there!
Warmly,
Janine
I’ve only ever tried liver (which I overcooked and no one liked 🫣) and heart (which I had my local butcher mix in with our ground beef mix). I saw beef kidney in our grocery store and I’m sure it’s not pasture raised, or grass fed but I’m doing the best I can and I have to start somewhere. (I wanted to try tongue so badly but they didn’t have any available there.) Anyway, I’m making this tonight. Never made kidney before 🤞hopefully it goes well. I get so nervous trying new things that I often put it off but it’s a new year and I’m trying a new recipe.
My 4yo loved it! (But he’s a meat lover) my 2yo just wanted the butter sauce 😅 my husband didn’t like it and I didn’t hate it. (We are the pickiest of our family when it comes to this. I think I am more sensitive to it because I cooked it and prepped it and my husband is picky about it because mentally it’s hard for him to get past organ meats). My 4yo and I had seconds though! I don’t know how I’d reheat it or repurpose it for leftovers. Kidney pie maybe? We have a lot and I don’t want to over cook it when I reheat it.
Hey Michaela, Thanks so much for following up and letting me know how it went! I never recommend that people start kidney here because it’s the real deal, but I was always a front and center organ meat mom and I do think that this dish is amazing! I’m so glad you went for seconds! I often eat leftover liver or kidney cold with some kimchi, but if you’re not ready for that – depending on how saucy the leftovers are, you can chop them small (pulse them in a food processor) and add them into ground meat. Make something flavorful like chili or tacos. I would add the kidney after the ground beef has mostly cooked so it only needs to warm up. I also wouldn’t worry about it too much. Good for you adventuring and trying new things!! I was also the most squeamish – the kids grow up with it – and they are definitely in good hands! 🙂
Overcooked liver happens a lot. Keep trying! Maybe mix it up and go for https://offallygoodcooking.com/liver-tonic-high-octane-bloody-mary/ next time 🙂
Oh. Chicken feet? Hahaha, my foodie group uses those for broth only… maybe I’ll suprise them with a yummy different meal.
And yes, the shawarma recipe is also on my wish list.
I had stopped for eggs at a farm new to me, I asked what they have in their barns. The guy said kettle is a hobby.
So…do you have meat? Yes, per quarter… nope.
Do you have offal then that no one wants?
Yes! So he happily sold me a tongue, a heart and more liver. He didn’t even know what to charge so we figured it out and he said I can come back… 😜😉
Yes, people don’t realize that farmers everywhere are still practically giving away these valuable cuts. Even in major urban areas, I have spoken with farmers just a little out of range and found basement prices to be had. Good for you!