Sautéed Cerveaux (Fried Brains)

Our staff meals at the 3-star restaurant I cook at used to be reminiscent of traditional bistro fare. I remember looking forward to such entrees as moules frites, porc roti avec jus, poisson provencal but now it seems that all we eat are offal (awful) dishes that make my stomach do backflips.

We get two hearty meals a day to sustain us through the twelve – sometimes 13 hour – work day and I am always surprised at the French love of organ dishes. Now that I am cooking with the Chef de Viande we make all the meat for the staff – or in this case, he makes all the meat and I silently protest in the background and find other tasks that I must complete first.

I have actually visited Rungis, the largest market in the world and have seen the tools used to extract the brain from the animal skull in one piece. The brain is put in a metal clamp that holds it steady then a fork like plunger comes down and cracks the skull neatly in two and grabs the brain in one piece. It is horrifying to watch because the animal eyes are often still in the skinless skull and when it splits in two the eyes go their separate ways.

So, just how do you turn this gelatinous wiggly grey matter into something delicious? First, it is necessary to pick out any veins or blood vessels on the brain and remove the film. If the film is not taken off then it will not brown properly when sautéed. To draw out impurities and blood soak the brains in cold water (overnight if possible) changing the water every few hours. When the brains are sufficiently soaked, the water will be clear.

Quickly blanch the brains in boiling water and drain well. Then season with salt and pepper, roll through flour and fry up in salted butter until golden brown. Top with sautéed garlic, parsley with a squeeze of lemon. We serve them along side creamy potatoes which is supposed to compliment them in some way. Voila! Bon appetit! For the recipe click on "Continue reading Sautéed cerveaux..." at the bottom of the page

Technorati Tags: brains, cerveaux, offal, Paris, brains, recipes

Fried Brains

Ingredients
1 calf's brain per person
1 cup all purpose flour
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 bunch italian parsley chopped
1 lemon
1/2 stick salted butter
salt and pepper

Instructions
1. Pick the blood vessels and film off of the brains and soak in cold water overnight. Change the water every few hours. When they are properly soaked the water will remain clear.
2. Blanch in boiling water for two minutes and remove onto a rack to thoroughly drain
3. Season with and pepper
4. Roll through a pan of flour to coat evenly
5. Melt butter in a skillet on medium high heat. When it is frothy and begins to turn a nut brown color add brains. Sauté until golden brown, constantly basting with butter to evenly brown. Remove and keep warm.
6. In another skillet melt 3-4 Tablespoons of salted butter and quickly saute parsley and garlic. Remove from heat, squeeze lemon into garlic / parsley mixture, stir, and pour over brains.
7. Eat up!

Comments

[hubby]

now that's the smartest recipe I've ever seen. ;) Seriously, this is why we paid all that dough for cooking school!?!?!?! I'll take a double-double animal style please.

[Lianne]

I had a cheeseburger animal style for lunch today so I almost agree with HUBBY. Just tell him that many of us are living our dream vicariously through you so what's a little brain recipe to your beneficiaries? Any progress on your visa?

[Nadine]

I oould NOT eat brains!

[Sam]

ummm. Only three words come to mind, non, non, and non. love your blog, but can't get into this recipe.

[Scott at RealEpicurean]

I will probably never get to try this, however it has me intrigued!

Offal is looked on strangely by most these days, which is surely inconsiderate to the animal which just died (for fillet steaks only, these days!).

[melinda]

My husband loves crumbed fried lambs brains. Will I ever cook this for him?
NO! (we have been married for 29 years and its never going to happen! LOL)

[Jennifer]

Gross.

[Lisa S-H]

I don't think it looks gross at all. Reminds me of sweetbreads. I've never had brains, does it taste like sweetbreads? And...what about Mad Cow Disease? Doesn't it come from eating cow brains? Hummmm......

[mindy]

That would've made a great Halloween post!

[jeorg]

love a good brain story. one smart looking dish. sorry. couldn't resist.

[amy]

So... was it good? I mean, do you, as non-offal eater, enjoy it?

[will]

When done well, as this no doubt was - - I'm sure that it's wonderful. Although I would have thought that they soak in milk rather than water - - don´t know why; it's just something that came to mind.

[Ms. Glaze]

I couldn't bring myself to eat it. I took my knife and sliced a piece off but it didn't get passed my lips. Funny enough, my boss passed on it too and opted for a salad so I know that not ALL French can handle offal.

Soaking the brains in milk would soften it with the lactic acid and they are pretty gushy as it is. Cold water actually draws out the blood and other impurities. Interesting idea though...

I haven't had any luck on my visa but I did get my apprenticeship extended another two months!!! Yippeee!!!

Bisous,
Ms. Glaze

[ParisBreakfasts]

Awful offal :(
You couldn't drag me to that place! And I had to shoot an all offal dinner with Charlie Trott(er)
and Daniel Bouloud at the Beard House.. don't think I ate a bite. I'm coming back to this post next time I think I want some HagenDaz :)

[misschrisc]

Ick...still baffles me how so many French enjoy this type of stuff. It's good you're being exposed to so many different dishes. You're probably learning a lot even if you never use it in your own kitchen.

I hope you get your visa!

[nardac]

I'm going to try this! Like, right now! But, it's basically all fat, right?

[nardac]

That was really gross. My first, and last, time having brain. Bleah.

[Ms. Glaze]

Nardac – you win the blue ribbon. I can't believe you actually made it and ATE it...eeeeeeewwwwww grooooooosssssss!!!! It's really gushy, huh? Beurk!

Bisous,
Ms. Glaze

[Jenna]

Hmmm... I don't really know where I'd find erm... brains in the U.S.

What do they taste like?

[Ms. Glaze]

I think you would have to order them special from a reliable butcher. They are not easy to prepare properly because it's necessary to pick out all the little red veins and they are delicate.

They taste like mush. I'm not a fan.

[julie coulter]

do you have anymore brain recipes you can email me.
i am looking for garlic cumbed brains in mushroom sauce.
regard,
julie coulter

[Jenna]

Gah.

I'm a fan of the offal. Really. I am. However, this dish is NOT for me.

[brook adams]

Bought some calf's brains today for the 1st time at our local market in le sud-est. Am going to follow your recipe and see what happens. Am very excited!

[toby]

this is a great dish, why be scared of eating things your parents were probably raised on this old way of cooking is dying....it makes me sad..im trying to re introduce my frinds and family to old cajun dishes like this and sweet bread,pigs feet cowboy stew,pancreas....good eats!!!

[Therese]

Going to second with Toby. Being a Creole with Cajun family, I grew up on a lot of these dishes. Loved sweet beads, head cheese, and offals generally as a kid (save cow livers). This dish sounds great!

[pete]

as a children we would go to the abbitors during school holidays and watch the slaughtermen kill the animals. (this was in the non pc world of 55 years ago). the slaughtermen would give us cows brains wrapped up in caul. we would manage to get them home and our mother would cook them in bread crumbs. i loved it and look forward to trying this recipie. i really cant see the difference between eating steak or brains. pete australia

[rene]

I just had brains, and they were delicious. I don't know what you fools are talking about.

[Caroline]

Grew up in a house where this was a common dish. My parents having come from Europe. I never ate it as the preparation was to simply dredge them in flour and fry them up. So the dish looked like what it was... fried brains! Spent the day in Arthur Ave in the Bronx and happened to find calves brains in one a the local markets. Bought one and intend to cook it for my 87 year old father tomorrow (if I can handle the prep).

[Fishbonewg]

Bought some calf brains and they are soaking in cold water and juice of a whole lemon as I type this. Will use your recipe in the morning!

[Aida]

my mother-in-law recently let her secret out of the bag after some 30 years. when she made burgers but ran short of meat she substituted brains. no one ever noticed and everyone always loved her cooking. yesterday my son, who incidentally has Crohns, has been craving organ meats &pitstopped at the supermarket for brains. It's a good day for me to be a vegetarian (21 years now) but i have to say i've heard only good reviews from family & friends who have had them.

[Renato]

You're so beautiful

[Mad Dog]

I love calves brains (and all offal) - I usually do them a similar way, but smaller, like nuggets, as a starter.

[Ron Smyth, Buenos Aires]

I'm surprised that people who eat meat can be so prissy about eating the whole animal. If millions of people around the world eat and enjoy these foods, why is it that so many of you act like little kids rejecting mushrooms or broccoli? It's one thing to try a dish and decide it's not for you (although it usually takes several different preparation methods until you find your favourite) but please spare us your knee-jerk reactions. This is a food site; I have no interest in knowing that you don't want to even try a recipe. It adds nothing to the value of the site. It's about as informative as if vegetarians wrote every time there was a meat recipe to tell us that meat is gross.