Devilled Kidneys

Serves: to serve 6

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 35 Minutes

Ready In: 45 mins

2 oz - butter

2 medium - butter

½ pint - beef stock

1 teaspoon - English mustard powder **

1 tablespoon - Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon - cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon - paprika

2 tablespoons - plain flour

6 - lamb's kidneys

- salt and pepper

FOR THE GARNISH

3 slices - thick cut white bread

½ cup - milk

3 tablespoons - duck fat, goose fat or beef dripping

1 clove - garlic (optional)

1 tablespoon - chopped parsley

Melt 1oz (25g) of butter in a pan, add the onions and fry till they begin to turn golden brown (about 5 minutes at medium heat). Add the beef stock, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper and paprika plus salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring to the boil and simmer until the liquid is well reduced (about 20 minutes).
Slice the kidneys crossways and remove the white cores. If you find that removing the core from the kidneys is causing you a problem, make sure your knife is short, sharp and pointed! Otherwise, just ask the butcher to do it for you! Season the flour with salt and pepper and use to dust the kidneys. Melt the remaining butter in a separate pan, add the kidneys and fry them over a medium heat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally. If you want to cut one in two to test if it's cooked, it should be just pink in the middle. Pour the sauce over the top and allow to keep warm in the pan while you prepare the garnish.
If you want to create fried bread that is slightly garlic-flavoured, peel and crush (mince) the garlic, add it to the duck fat and heat in a frying pan until it is very hot (almost smoking). Meanwhile, cut the crusts off the bread and cut them twice diagonally to make 4 small triangles from each slice. Pour the milk into a saucer or shallow dish and dunk the bread triangles on both sides in the milk. This prevents them from absorbing too much fat and keeps the middle of the bread nice and moist.
Place the bread in the frying pan (stand back - it sizzles!), leave for about 30 seconds, then check the underside to see if it's browning. Keep checking until it is golden brown then turn the bread over and cook the other side in the same way. You will almost certainly find that you have to add more fat as you cook. Keep the fried bread warm as you cook them in batches.
To serve, transfer the kidneys in their sauce to a warmed serving dish, and arrange the fried bread triangles around the edge. Sprinkle the chopped parsley over the top and take it straight to the table.
** If you can't get English mustard powder (that really hot stuff), use two tablespoons of Meaux or Dijon mustard instead.