Ris de Veau Grillés Saint-Germain

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Two rimmed trays and a 4 to 5 pound weight for pressing
• •12-inch (30 cm) lidded sauté pan
• •10 to 12-inch (25 to 30 cm) ridged cast-iron grill pan
• •Small saucepan and heatproof bowl for the Béarnaise
• •Blender or food processor
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Long oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Complete the blanching

   Complete the Blanchings (No. 273) exactly as that preparation directs, using it to soak, blanch, cool, and drain the sweetbreads. They should feel firm enough to handle but remain supple at the center. This preliminary work removes blood, sets the delicate flesh, and makes clean trimming possible; it is technique, not ceremony.

2. 2

   Trim and press

   Remove the thick outer membrane and any obvious cords with a small sharp knife, working gently so the lobes stay intact. Do not chase every fine filament and tear the sweetbreads to pieces. Set them between two lined trays, place a 4 to 5 pound weight on top, and chill for 45 to 60 minutes, until evenly flattened to about ¾ inch. Pat every surface thoroughly dry afterward. Damp sweetbreads stick and color poorly; if they still feel wet, leave them uncovered in the cold for another 15 minutes.

3. 3

   Make the reduction

   While the sweetbreads press, combine the vinegar, wine, shallot, crushed peppercorns, and tarragon sprigs in a small saucepan. Boil steadily until only about 2 tablespoons remain, then strain into a heatproof bowl, pressing firmly on the shallot and herbs. This concentrated reduction is the backbone of Béarnaise. It may wait at room temperature while you prepare the vegetables.

4. 4

   Glaze the carrots

   Lay the olive-shaped carrots in a wide saucepan in a single layer. Add the consommé, 2 tablespoons butter, and a small pinch of salt, then cover with a parchment round or a lid set slightly ajar. Simmer gently until the carrots are tender but still hold their shape, 12 to 18 minutes. Uncover and roll them through the reducing liquid until it clings as a glossy glaze. If the carrots soften before the consommé reduces, lift them out, reduce the liquid alone, then return them. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Brown the potatoes

   Put the peeled potatoes in a lidded sauté pan with 4 tablespoons butter, the ½ cup water, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat until nearly tender, 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove the lid and continue cooking as the water evaporates, turning the potatoes through the butter until every side is a handsome gold. If the butter colors before the centers are tender, add 2 tablespoons water, cover again, and finish gently.

6. 6

   Purée the peas

   Bring the 8 cups water to a strong boil and season it with 2 tablespoons salt. Add the fresh peas and cook just until tender and vivid green, 3 to 5 minutes depending on their maturity. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, drain the peas, and blend them at once with 3 tablespoons butter and enough reserved water to make a smooth, spoonable purée. Pass it through a fine sieve, then season. If it is loose, stir it over gentle heat until it holds a soft mound; if too thick, loosen it one spoonful at a time with the pea water.

7. 7

   Emulsify the Béarnaise

   Whisk the egg yolks and 1 tablespoon cold water into the strained reduction. Set the bowl over barely simmering water and whisk continuously until the yolks become pale, thick, and able to hold the trace of the whisk. Remove the bowl from the heat and add the warm clarified butter first by droplets, then in a thin stream, whisking without pause. Fold in the chopped tarragon and chervil, then season with salt and pepper. Hold the Béarnaise over warm water, never direct heat. If it turns greasy or separates, stop adding butter. Ça se rattrape: whisk a teaspoon of cold water in a clean warm bowl, then beat in the broken sauce a teaspoon at a time until it gathers again.

8. 8

   Grill the sweetbreads

   Heat a heavy ridged grill pan over medium-high heat until thoroughly hot. Season the dry sweetbreads with salt and pepper and brush them generously with the clarified butter. Lay them in the pan without crowding and leave them untouched for 4 to 5 minutes, until the ridges are deep Maillard bronze and the meat releases willingly. Turn and cook the second side for another 4 to 5 minutes, brushing with more butter as needed, until the centers reach 160°F (71°C). If they cling, do not tear them loose; give the crust another minute. If the exterior colors before the center is hot, lower the heat and cover the pan briefly.

9. 9

   Rewarm and arrange

   Rewarm the carrots in their glaze, roll the potatoes once more through their butter, and bring the pea purée gently back to serving temperature. Arrange the grilled sweetbreads in a line down the center of a long warm platter. Surround them with alternate compact heaps of golden potatoes and glazed carrots, preserving the original service rather than scattering everything together. Send the Béarnaise and fresh-pea purée to the table separately in warm serving bowls. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the butcher specifically for veal heart sweetbreads, the rounder, firmer lobes that press and grill evenly. Throat sweetbreads have a looser shape and can be used, but they require more trimming and will not make such tidy portions.
• •Fresh peas give Saint-Germain its full fragrance. Outside their good season, frozen petits pois are the honest answer because they are preserved while sweet and tender; cook them only 2 minutes before blending.
• •Taste prepared consommé before it reaches the carrots. If it is aggressively salty, dilute it with water until it tastes like a clear, well-made broth, since reduction will concentrate every flaw.
• •Béarnaise waits badly once finished. Make the reduction early, but emulsify the sauce no more than 30 minutes before serving and hold it only over warm water.
• •Pour a full-bodied dry white with enough acidity for the Béarnaise, such as white Burgundy or a dry Loire Chenin Blanc. The peas want freshness, while the sweetbreads and butter need breadth.

Advance Preparation

• •The sweetbreads may complete their Blanchings (No. 273), trimming, and pressing a day ahead. Keep them covered in the cold, then uncover and dry them thoroughly before grilling.
• •The Béarnaise reduction can be made a day ahead and chilled. Bring it back to room temperature before adding the yolks, but build the emulsion shortly before dinner.
• •The pea purée can be made up to 4 hours ahead, covered directly at the surface, and reheated over very gentle heat with a spoonful of reserved pea water.
• •The carrots may be cooked until just tender 2 hours ahead. Reduce their consommé separately, then return and glaze them while the sweetbreads grill.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 655g)