The encyclopaedia of practical cookery

Kidney Soup. — Chop four Kidneys, or cut them into small squares, put them into a saucepan with 4oz. of butter, and fry for a few minutes ; then put in a peeled and chopped onion and shallot, two or three chopped small sticks of celery, and a clove of garlic. Fry the whole until nicely browned, then dredge in 1 scant teacupful of flour, stirring that until browned, and pour in 5 pints of stock or broth, two wineglassfuls of sherry, a few sprigs of thyme, and 1 teaspoonful of peppercorns. Continue stirring the soup over the fire until boiling, then move to the side, and let it simmer for an hour or two. Skim the soup well, remove the pieces of thyme, turn the soup into a soup-tureen, and serve with a plate of sippets of toast, or croutons of fried bread. Kidney Toast. — (1) Mince the Kidneys of a roast loin of veal together with half their fat, season well with pepper, salt, chopped shallots, parsley, and a small quantity of green, sweet basil, and bind with beaten yolk of egg. Cut some pieces of bread of an equal thickness, and any shape fancied, spread a layer of the mixture over each piece with a knife dipped in beaten egg, and strew grated breadcrumb on the top. Line the bottom of a baking-dish with slices of fat bacon, lay the pieces of bread on them, and put into a brisk oven. When baked, drain the pieces of bread, lay them on a dish over which has been spread a folded napkin or a For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Sauces, dc., referred to, see under their special heads. Kidneys — continued. fancy-edged dish-paper, garnish with crisp fried parsley, and serve very hot. (2) Remove a little of the fat from some small Kidneys, mince them very fine, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, cayenne, and finely-grated lemon-peel. Put this mixture in a pan with a little butter, add one or two well-beaten eggs, and spread it on pieces of toast. Place them again in the oven to brown, and serve. (3) Finely mince the required quantity of Kidney, together with a little of the fat, pound it to a pulp, season with salt and pepper, and add a small boiled and finely-chopped onion. Now add sufficient beaten white of egg to form the mixture into a mass, heap it on a slice of toast, cover with the beaten yolks of eggs, dust over thickly with breadcrumbs, and bake in a quick oven. Serve very hot. (4) Put the Kidneys in a frying-pan with a lump of butter, and fry until three-parts cooked ; then free the Kidneys from all the skin and hard parts, put them in a mortar, and pound until smooth. Season the Kidneys with salt, pepper, 1 teaspoonful of mustard, grated nutmeg, and a small quantity of cayenne pepper, and work into a smooth paste with beaten yolks of eggs. Cut some thin slices of j bread off a tin-loaf, toast a golden brown on either side, trim off the crusts, cut each slice into three fingers, and spread some of the mixture on each piece of toast. Put a lump of butter on a dish, place it in the oven, and when I the butter has melted lay the pieces of toast on it, and leave in the oven until very hot. Serve the toasts the j moment they are taken out of the oven.