Cassell's dictionary of cookery

Sweetbreads. — Sweetbreads should be chosen as fresh as possible, as they very quickly spoil. There are two sorts — heart sweetbreads and throat sweetbreads. The heart sweetbreads are the best, and also the most expensive. In whatever way sweetbreads are to be dressed, they should iirst be soaked in cold water for a couple of hours. They should then be put into boiling- water and simmered gently for five or ten minutes, according to size, and when taken up they should be laid in cold water. Sweetbreads vary considerably in price, according to the time of the year. They are quite as frequently employed as ingredients in sundry made dishes, such as vol-au-vents, ragouts, &c., as served alone, and as they do not possess a very decided natural flavour they need to be accompanied by a highly-seasoned sauce, or they will taste rather insipid. They are in full season from May to August. Sweetbreads (a la Dauphine). — Take two perfectly fresh sweetbreads. Let them soak in cold water for two hours, changing the water occasionally. Put them into boilingwater, and let them simmer gently until they are finn without being hard. Put them in cold water for a few minutes, dry them, and lard them evenly with thin strips of fat bacon. Take a small stewpan which has belonging to it a lid to hold live embers. Butter the inside, and put into it a large carrot sliced and a moderate-sized onion. Lay one or two slices of bacon on the vegetables, then put in the sweetbreads, together with half a pint of strong bro-wn gravy. Sprinkle a little salt over them, and stew with a gentle fire under them and plenty of heat on the top. Baste frequently with the gravy until the sweetbreads are lightly browned. Add more gravy as it is necessary. Trim the sweetbreads neatly, put them on a dish -with the bacon under them, strain the gravy upon them, and send dressed sorrel or endive or tomato sauce to table with them. Time to stew the sweetbreads, three-quarters of an hour. Probable cost, Is. 6d. to 5s. each. Sufficient for a small dish. Sweetbreads (a la Maitre d' Hotel). — Soak, blanch, cool, and trim the sweetbreads in the usual way. Lay them in a saucepan, and barely cover them with good veal gravy. Let them stew gently until done enough. Lay them on a hot dish, and have the sauce ready prepared to pour over them. This sauce may be made as follows : — Take half a pint of good melted butter. Let it simmer a few minutes, and skim it well, then stir into it a dessertspoonful of chopped parsley, the strained juice of a small lemon, and a little salt and cayenne. Take the sauce from the fire, let it cool a minute, stir into it until dissolved a small piece of fresh butter, and it will be ready for use. Time to simmer the sweetbread, three-quarters of an hour. Sufficient, a fine large sweetbread for two persons. Probable cost. Is. 6d. to 5s. Sweetbreads and Palates, Pie of.— Take an equal number of sweetbreads and palates, and prepare them both in the usual way {see Sweetbreads and Ox Palates). Let them stew till tender in good brown gra-vy, and lay them in a dish. Let the sauce cool a little, stir into it the well-pounded yolks of two hard-boiled eggs, and pour it upon the meat. Cover the dish with good pastry, and bake in a well-heated oven. When the pastry is done enough the pie wiU be ready for serving. Sweetbreads and Palates Stewed. —