Crêtes et Rognons de Coq à la Grecque

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-quart (2-liter) heavy ovenproof saucepan with a tight-fitting lid
• •10-inch (25 cm) wide frying pan
• •10-inch (25 cm) deep pan for shallow-frying
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Wire draining rack
• •Wide shallow metal serving pan

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the combs

   Before the 25-minute service run begins, have the five fine cocks' combs fully completed through Blanchings (No. 273) and Poëlings (No. 250), following those linked preparations as written. Keep the finished combs covered with their cooking butter at the gentlest warmth for no more than 20 minutes. These operations remain whole because each is its own preparation in the canon; this recipe reaches for them ready.

   Do not let the finished combs boil or sit over fierce heat. They should remain supple and intact, not tighten while the pilaff cooks.
2. 2

   Set the service clock

   Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Pour 2 tablespoons of the hot stock over the saffron and leave it for 5 minutes. Set out the drained rice, diced capsicum, onion, kidneys, aubergine, flour, and two pans before cooking begins. Once the rice starts, every remaining action has its place; this mise en place is what replaces the spare hands of a brigade.

3. 3

   Cook the pilaff

   Melt the pilaff butter in a heavy ovenproof saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes without coloring, then add the capsicum for 1 minute. Stir in the rice and nacrez it, coating every grain in butter until it looks pearly but not browned. Add 1½ cups of the hot stock, the saffron with its soaking stock, and ¾ teaspoon of the salt. Bring just to a simmer, cover tightly, and bake for 17 minutes. Rest it covered for 5 minutes, then test a grain. If the center remains chalky and the pan is dry, add 2 tablespoons of reserved hot stock, cover, and bake for 4 minutes more. Ça se rattrape. If liquid remains, return the pan uncovered for 2 minutes.

4. 4

   Fry the aubergine

   During the final 10 minutes of the rice's cooking, season the aubergine roundels lightly on both sides and dredge them in the flour, shaking off every loose trace. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) and fry the roundels without crowding until deep gold, about 2 minutes per side. Drain them on a rack and keep them uncovered. If the oil cools and the surface turns soft, raise it to temperature and return the roundels for 20 seconds; the edges will recover, though oil already absorbed cannot be taken back.

5. 5

   Frizzle the kidneys

   Five minutes before the pilaff is ready, melt 1½ tablespoons of the kidney butter in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. When the bubbling subsides and the butter smells nutty, add the thoroughly dry kidneys in one layer. Season with the remaining salt and the pepper, then frizzle them briskly for 2 to 3 minutes, tossing often, until lightly bronzed, just firm, and opaque throughout; the largest should reach 165°F (74°C). If they shed liquid and begin to gray, lift them out, pour away the liquid, wipe the pan, and return them briefly with the reserved butter. Ça se rattrape. Do not keep cooking once they are done, or tenderness is lost.

6. 6

   Fold the garnish

   Fluff the pilaff gently with a fork, separating the grains without crushing them. Fold in the frizzled kidneys with their browned butter, then add the combs completed through Blanchings (No. 273) and Poëlings (No. 250), turning them through only enough to distribute them without tearing their delicate points. Taste once for salt. From this moment, do not hold the dish.

7. 7

   Dish and serve

   Warm a shallow metal serving pan with hot water, empty it, and dry it completely. Spoon in the saffron pilaff, leaving several combs and kidneys visible across the top, then arrange the four fried aubergine roundels around the rim in an overlapping circle. Carry it directly to the table while the rice still gleams and the aubergine edges remain crisp. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Order the combs and cocks' kidneys from a licensed specialist poultry or offal supplier, and confirm that they understand the classical French terms. The source insists upon very fresh kidneys for good reason. Keep them at 40°F (4°C) or colder and cook them on the day received.
• •There is no invisible substitute for either piece of offal. Chicken liver or mushrooms can make a good rice dish, but they do not make Crêtes et Rognons de Coq à la Grecque. If the proper ingredients cannot be sourced, change the plan, not the name.
• •Use ordinary long-grain rice. Arborio releases too much starch, while scented rice changes the dish's quiet saffron character. The capsicum quantity looks sternly small because it is scaled from the source; it should punctuate the pilaff, not take possession of it.
• •The kidneys need a wide pan, dry surfaces, and real butter. Crowding produces liquid instead of color, and margarine has no business here. We don't apologize for butter.
• •Pour a dry, full-bodied white wine with enough freshness for the butter and offal, such as a white Burgundy or a restrained white Rhône. Serve the wine cool rather than icy so it can meet the saffron.

Advance Preparation

• •Blanchings (No. 273) may be completed up to one day ahead according to its own formula; keep the prepared combs covered and chilled at 40°F (4°C) or colder. Schedule Poëlings (No. 250) so the finished combs are ready before the pilaff's 25-minute service clock begins.
• •The rice can be rinsed and drained, the onion and capsicum diced, and the stock measured several hours ahead. Refrigerate the vegetables and stock separately. Slice the aubergine ahead if needed, but season and dredge it only immediately before frying.
• •The finished dish does not improve by waiting or reheating. For a dinner party, have everyone seated before the kidneys enter the butter; from that moment, the table waits for the pan, never the reverse.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)