Julia Child's Most Disturbing Recipe

sweetbreads

🥗Healthier: tofu

💰Cheaper: chicken livers

Tofu offers a plant-based option, while chicken livers provide a more affordable organ meat alternative.

white wine

🥗Healthier: non-alcoholic wine

💰Cheaper: chicken broth

Non-alcoholic wine maintains flavor without alcohol, while chicken broth is a cost-effective substitute.

Soak sweetbreads in water and vinegar overnight to remove blood.

Carefully remove the filament from the sweetbreads without tearing them.

Dice 1/4 cup each of onion, carrot, and celery, and 1/4 cup of ham.

In an enameled pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.

Add the diced vegetables and ham, along with a quarter teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper; sauté for 15 minutes until tender but not browned.

Add the herb bouquet (thyme and bay leaf in cheesecloth) directly into the pan.

Drain the sweetbreads and season both sides with half a teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of pepper.

Add the sweetbreads to the pan and baste with the butter and vegetables for 5 minutes per side.

Transfer the sweetbreads to a casserole dish.

Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of dry white vermouth, boiling it down to about half a cup.

Pour the reduced vermouth and enough beef stock to barely cover the sweetbreads into the casserole dish.

Cover and place in the oven at 325°F for 45 minutes.

Prepare the brown mushroom sauce while the sweetbreads are cooking by dicing mushrooms.

Sauté the diced mushrooms until browned.

Remove the sweetbreads from the oven and cut them into half-inch slices.

Reduce the braising liquid in the casserole dish to about half a cup.

Make a slurry with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon of white vermouth, then add it to the reduced liquid along with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.

Add the sautéed mushrooms and 1/4 cup of diced ham to the sauce, simmer for 3 minutes, and check for seasoning.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens