No. 1703

Lamb Kidneys on Skewers

Rognons d'Agneau en Brochettes

Split open the kidneys on the round side three-quarters through without separating the parts; run skewers through, having two kidneys to each metal skewer (Fig. 341); season with salt and pepper and cover over with oil, broil them first on the open side and when sufficiently done, turn them over on the other; dress them the open side uppermost, and lay on every kidney a little maitre d'hotel butter (No. 582). Squeeze a little lemon juice over and serve very hot.

← No. 1702 Lamb Kidneys, Glazed Lamb No. 1704 Stewed Lamb Kidneys with Madeira and with Mu →

For the Modern Kitchen

A three-line broiling recipe that depends entirely on timing and on the butter that finishes it. Ranhofer assumes you know both, so here is what he left out.

The hinge: do not overcookLamb kidneys go from tender to rubbery in under a minute. Two to three minutes on the cut side, two on the rounded side under a hot broiler or over live coals is the whole job; the centre should still be faintly rosy and the juices pink, not clear.
Splitting and skeweringCut three-quarters through the rounded (convex) side so the kidney opens flat like a book. Ranhofer puts two kidneys on each metal skewer; running a second skewer through parallel to the first is a useful modern addition, as it stops the kidneys spinning when you turn them.
Prep Ranhofer assumesPeel off the thin outer membrane and snip out the white core of fat and vessels at the hinge, or the kidney curls and the core stays chewy. Some cooks soak them briefly in milk or salted water; a rinse and a thorough pat dry is enough for fresh lamb kidneys.
Maitre d'hotel butterThe cross-reference at No. 582 is the standard compound butter: butter worked with chopped parsley, salt, pepper and lemon juice. A coin of it on each hot kidney melts into the split and makes the sauce; there is no other sauce in the dish.
Heat source"Broil" here means a grill over coals. A modern overhead broiler on its highest setting with the rack close to the element, or a ridged cast-iron pan smoking hot, both work. A moderate heat steams the kidneys in their own juice instead of colouring them.
OilBrush lightly rather than "cover over" — enough to keep them from sticking. Excess oil dripping into coals or under a broiler element can cause flare-ups.
Yield and servingTwo kidneys per skewer, as Ranhofer specifies; two skewers a head suits a savoury course or breakfast, three or four make a light main. Serve on hot plates, open side up; the recipe squeezes the lemon over the kidneys just before they go out.
SourcingLamb kidneys are a special order at most counters but keep poorly; buy them the day you cook and look for firm, deep-red, unblemished pairs with a clean smell.

A Little History

Grilled kidneys on a skewer are a familiar form of the brochette, and by the time Charles Ranhofer set this down for Delmonico's in The Epicurean (1894) they occupied a settled place in both the French repertoire and the Anglo-American breakfast and supper table. Grilled kidneys were standard on Victorian sideboards and in club dining rooms.