Sweetbread

Sweetbreads are edible organs, usually the thymus gland or pancreas of a young animal such as a calf or lamb. Despite the name, they are neither sweet nor bread.

Rinse them, soak in cold water for a few hours, then simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Cool them in cold water, peel away the outer membrane and any tough bits, and press them under a weight in the fridge until firm.

Pat the prepared sweetbreads thoroughly dry, cut into pieces and dust lightly with flour. Fry in a hot pan with butter or oil for 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply golden and crisp outside.

Keep fresh sweetbreads covered in the fridge and cook them within a day or two. Once cooked, refrigerate promptly and use within three days; freeze them well wrapped if you need to keep them longer.

Their mild, creamy flavour pairs well with lemon, parsley, capers and mushrooms. Serve pan-fried sweetbreads with a sharp sauce or alongside mashed potato and seasonal vegetables.

For a similarly delicate texture in a recipe, try calf’s liver, though its flavour is stronger and more mineral. Chicken oysters or thick slices of king oyster mushroom can work when you mainly want tender, browned pieces.

Veal sweetbreads are sweetbreads from a calf, so the terms overlap; sweetbreads can also come from lamb or other young animals. Veal sweetbread has 96 kcal and 17.2 g protein per 100 g, compared with 89 kcal and 18 g protein in sweetbread.

A 100 g portion provides 18 g of protein. Sweetbreads are usually served as a small starter or as part of a main dish rather than in a large portion.