SERVES 4

A pair of calves sweetbreads or 225 g | 8 oz lamb’s sweetbreads
45 g | 1 ½ oz butter
1 small onion, very finely chopped
55 g | 2 oz button mushrooms, sliced
30 g | 1 oz plain flours
150 ml | ¼ pint creamy milk
1 tablespoon dry sherry
10 ml |1/4 pint white stock, made with chicken bones
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
A squeeze of lemon juice
225 g | 8 oz cooked chicken cut into chunks
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large vol-au-vent case or 4 Feuilletée cases

1. Soak the sweetbreads in cold water for 4 hours. Change the water every time it becomes pink (probably 4 times). There should be no blood at all when the sweet breads are ready for cooking.
2. Place them in a saucepan of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and poach for 2 minutes.
3. Drain the sweetbreads and rinse under cold running water. Dry well. Pick them over removing all the skin and membrane, and cut into small bite-sized pieces.
4. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onion. Cover with a dampened piece of greaseproof paper and a lid, and cook over a low heat until soft but not coloured (this may take 10 minutes).
5. Stir in the mushrooms and leave over a low heat for 1 minute. Remove and mushrooms with a slotted spoon.
6. Stir the flour into the pan and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk, sherry and stock. Return to the heat and bring slowly to the boil, stirring continuously. Simmer for 1 minute.
7. Add the parsley, lemon juice, chicken pieces, sweetbreads, mushrooms, salt and pepper.
8. Tip the mixture carefully into the vol-au-vent case and reheat in the oven for 5 minutes.

WINE: Spicy Dry White

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Excerpt from Leiths Cookery Bible

[Leith, P., and Waldegrave, C., (2003), Leiths Cookery Bible, 3rd edition, Bloomburys, UK]