Riñones al Jerez

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small sharp knife
• •Medium saucepan for blanching
• •Wide frying pan or shallow cazuela
• •Second frying pan for searing

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim the kidneys

   Split the kidneys and cut away every bit of the white core, membrane, and hard fat. Slice the clean meat into pieces about 1cm thick. Pésalo, no lo adivines: start with about 600g before trimming, because the white core is waste, not food.

   Ask the butcher for veal kidneys, very fresh, and cook them the day you buy them. Offal does not improve by waiting.
2. 2

   Soak and blanch

   Put the sliced kidneys in 1 litre cold water with 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar for 15 minutes, then drain. Bring a fresh 1 litre water to a boil with 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, add the kidneys for 45 seconds, and drain at once. Rinse briefly under cold water and pat very dry. This cleaning is what keeps the dish sweet instead of sharp.

3. 3

   Make the onion base

   Warm 30ml olive oil in a wide frying pan or cazuela over medium-low heat. Add the onion, a pinch of salt, and the bay leaf, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the onion is soft, dark gold, and almost jammy. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. This is the slow onion base, not a rush job.

4. 4

   Thicken the sauce

   Stir in the flour and cook it for 1 minute so it loses its raw taste. Pour in the dry sherry, scraping the pan, and let it bubble for 2 minutes until the sharp alcohol smell settles. Add the stock or water and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon.

5. 5

   Sear the kidneys

   In a second pan, heat the remaining 15ml olive oil until hot. Season the dried kidneys lightly with salt and black pepper, then sear them in one layer for 45 to 60 seconds per side, just until browned at the edges. Do this in two batches if the pan is crowded; crowded kidneys stew, and then you have lost the point.

6. 6

   Finish briefly

   Slide the seared kidneys into the sherry sauce with any juices from the pan. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, no longer, until the pieces are just cooked through and still tender. Take out the bay leaf, taste for salt, and finish with the chopped parsley. Serve at once, with fried potatoes, rice, or bread for the sauce.

Chef Tips

• •Use real dry Jerez wine. Fino makes a paler, sharper sauce; amontillado sits in the middle; oloroso gives a darker, deeper one. Sweet cream sherry is for another table, not this dish.
• •Blanching is not fuss. It pulls away the strong edge that gives kidneys their bad name, then the quick sear keeps them tender.
• •If using lamb kidneys, trim them the same way but skip the full blanch and dip them in boiling vinegar water for only 20 seconds. They are smaller and turn firm quickly.
• •Serve immediately. Riñones al Jerez do not like reheating; the sauce keeps, but the kidneys tighten when cooked twice.

Advance Preparation

• •Trim and soak the kidneys up to 2 hours ahead, then drain, dry, cover, and refrigerate. Blanch and cook them close to serving.
• •The onion and sherry sauce can be made up to 1 day ahead. Rewarm it gently, then sear the kidneys fresh and finish them in the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 180g)