Turban de Rognons à la Piémontaise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6-cup (1.5 L) smooth Savarin-mould or even ring mould
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy skillet
• •Wide 3-quart (2.8 L) saucepan for reducing the half-glaze
• •Heavy 3-quart (2.8 L) saucepan for the rizotto
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Large round serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare kidneys and truffle

   Pull every trace of outer membrane from the kidneys, split them lengthwise, and cut away the hard white cores without gouging out the surrounding flesh. Pat the halves completely dry and keep them covered in the cold. Slice the truffle as finely as your knife allows and reserve 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) of its juice separately. Keep both cold until the final minutes.

2. 2

   Reduce the half-glaze

   Reserve ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) of the brown veal stock. Whisk the remaining stock with the tomato purée in a wide saucepan and bring it to a lively simmer. Reduce uncovered for 35 to 45 minutes, skimming when needed, until about 1¼ cups (300 ml / 300 g) remain and the sauce coats the back of a spoon in a glossy film. The tomato must be clearly present but still supported by veal stock; that is tomatéd. If the reduction becomes too tight, loosen it with the reserved stock. Hold it off the heat without adding salt, truffle juice, or butter yet.

   Use unsalted stock. A salted carton reduced this far can become harsh before it gains the body of half-glaze.
3. 3

   Build the rizotto

   Warm the light stock and saffron together until the liquid turns a deep butter gold, then hold it just below a simmer. Melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) of the unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan, add the onion, and cook gently until soft and translucent without browning. Stir in the rice and cook for 2 minutes, turning every grain through the butter until its edges look translucent. Add the saffron stock about 1 cup (240 ml / 240 g) at a time, stirring often and waiting until each addition is nearly absorbed before adding the next. Hold back the final ½ cup (120 ml / 120 g) until you know the rice needs it.

4. 4

   Finish the rizotto

   After 17 to 20 minutes, the rice should be tender with a small firm point at its center and thick enough to mound rather than flow. Remove it from the heat and beat in 3 tablespoons (45 ml / 42 g) of unsalted butter and the Parmigiano-Reggiano, then season from the measured salt and pepper. This rizotto must be firmer than one served in a bowl because it has a shape to hold. If it is loose, return it to gentle heat for a minute or two, stirring until it gathers around the spoon; if it is too stiff, fold in the reserved hot stock one tablespoon at a time.

5. 5

   Fill the mould

   Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C). Brush the Savarin-mould thoroughly with 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of softened unsalted butter, paying attention to the inner ring. Spoon in the hot rizotto and press it lightly, just firmly enough to remove gaps without crushing the grains. Cover loosely with buttered parchment or foil and hold it in the low oven for no more than 15 minutes. This is the home equivalent of the hot cupboard, and it gives you time to finish the sauce and kidneys without letting the crown cool.

6. 6

   Finish the sauce

   Return the half-glaze to gentle heat. Stir in the reserved truffle juice, the home equivalent of the source's truffle essence, and let it warm for 1 minute without a hard boil. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the final 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) of unsalted butter until the sauce gleams, then season carefully from the measured salt and pepper. If the butter separates into an oily rim, take the pan fully off the heat and whisk in a teaspoon of cold stock or water. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Sear the kidneys

   Warm a large heavy skillet over high heat until properly hot, then add half the clarified butter. Season the kidney halves immediately before cooking and lay them cut-side down in one uncrowded layer, working in two batches when using smaller lamb kidneys. Fry quickly until the cut faces are deep bronze, about 2 minutes, then turn and cook the rounded sides for 1 to 2 minutes more, adding the remaining clarified butter for the second batch. The kidneys should be just firm and cooked through, reaching 160°F (71°C) at the thickest point. If they release liquid and the pan begins to boil, lift them out, tip away the liquid, reheat the pan until the butter sizzles, and return them briefly to brown. They can still be saved, but they cannot be left to simmer.

8. 8

   Turn out and crown

   Warm a round serving platter with hot water and dry it well. Invert the platter over the Savarin-mould, turn both together, wait 15 seconds, and lift the mould straight up. If the rice clings, wrap the outside of the mould with a hot damp towel for 20 seconds and try again. If the crown cracks, press the seam together with a warmed spoon; the kidneys and truffle will cover the repair. Arrange the kidney halves in a circle on the turban, alternating each with a fine slice of truffle exactly as the source directs. Pour the glossy tomatéd half-glaze into the center and serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Mutton kidneys have a deeper mineral character and are large enough to make a handsome eight-part crown when halved. Ask a butcher who handles whole lamb or mutton; if only lamb kidneys are available, use eight of equal total weight and shorten the searing time.
• •Your brown veal stock should wobble when cold. That natural gelatin is what lets a direct home reduction acquire the body of half-glaze without brigade sauce pots or an excessive load of salt.
• •Use a preserved whole black truffle with its own juice when fresh truffles are out of season. Skip truffle-flavoured oil. The dish needs actual slices between the kidneys, and the preserved juice perfumes the sauce without shouting over it.
• •A smooth ring matters more than an ornate one. Deep Bundt fluting catches the rice and turns one confident crown into an excavation.
• •Pour a mature red Burgundy or an earthy cru Beaujolais. Both have enough freshness for the tomato and Parmesan, with the quiet woodland character that suits kidney and truffle.

Advance Preparation

• •Reduce the veal stock with the tomato purée up to 2 days ahead, cool it promptly, and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Reheat gently, adding the truffle juice and final butter only before serving.
• •The kidneys can be skinned, halved, and cored up to 6 hours ahead. Keep them covered and cold, then dry and season them only when the skillet is hot.
• •Measure the rice, grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano, butter the mould, and warm the saffron stock before guests sit down. Do not finish the rizotto ahead; its brief hold in the mould is useful, but a long wait makes it heavy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 470g)