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Mutton Kidneys, Broiled
Skin the kidneys, and open them lengthwise with a knife until the fat or root is reached, then keep them open with a skewer; season with pepper, and broil first on the cut side (this will best preserve the gravy from wasting into the fire when the other side is turned to it). Have ready a round of buttered toast, draw out the skewers and lay the kidneys on it, with a piece of butter, cayenne, and salt on each. Serve hot, or spread the following mixture over the toast. Knead together an ounce of butter, a tea-spoonful of mustard, and cayenne to taste; moisten with a tea-spoonful of Harvey sauce. Serve hot. Time, six or eight minutes to broil. Probable cost, 4d. each. Allow one for each person.
A straightforward Victorian breakfast dish that survives largely unchanged; the only real difficulty is sourcing the kidneys and judging when to stop cooking.
- Butterflying and skeweringSplit the kidney lengthwise almost to the core of white fat, but not through it, so it opens flat like a book. The recipe passes a skewer through to hold it open, which also stops it curling on the heat; a thin metal or soaked wooden skewer serves.
- Cut side firstThis is the hinge of the recipe. Searing the cut face first sets the surface and keeps the juices in the kidney rather than in the fire; turning it cut-side-up afterwards lets the pooled juice sit in the hollow.
- Broil means grillIn this book "broil" is cooking over a hot fire on a gridiron. A modern overhead broiler at its highest setting, a ridged grill pan, or a charcoal grill all work; the six to eight minutes given assumes fierce heat.
- Timing and donenessSix to eight minutes total is about right for lamb kidneys, and overshooting turns them grainy and ammoniacal. Aim for still faintly pink at the centre; they firm up further while the butter melts on the toast.
- Mutton versus lambMutton kidneys from a mature sheep are larger and stronger tasting than the lamb kidneys sold today. If using lamb, allow two per person rather than one, and shorten the time slightly.
- Preparation not mentionedBeyond skinning, the recipe assumes fresh kidneys. Pull off the membrane, trim any hard tubes at the core, and pat dry; a rinse and thorough drying helps if they smell strongly.
- Harvey sauceA commercial bottled condiment of the period, anchovy-based and sharpened with vinegar, soy and spice; it is not in general production today. Worcestershire sauce or a mushroom ketchup gives a comparable salty, fermented lift in the mustard butter.
- YieldOne kidney per person, as stated, laid on a round of buttered toast. The mustard butter is given as an ounce of butter with a teaspoonful of mustard; the recipe does not say how many servings that quantity is meant to cover.
Grilled kidneys belong to the great age of the English breakfast sideboard, when a hot dish or two of offal sat alongside bacon, eggs and kedgeree in households that could afford them. Kidneys were cheap and cooked in minutes, which made them a natural for both breakfast and the late supper; devilled versions, sharpened with mustard and cayenne as here, are often said to have been especially associated with club and chophouse cooking. The Harvey sauce called for was one of a family of bottled anchovy sauces that dominated Victorian larders before Worcestershire sauce eclipsed them all. The "probable cost, 4d. each" is a reminder of Cassell's purpose: this was a reference book for middle-class households budgeting closely, and it prices dishes as routinely as it times them.