Lambs' Kidneys Villandry

Yield > 4
Servings
Ingredients :
8 x Lamb Kidneys
200 gm Minced pork or chicken
1 sm Egg yolk
1 pch Quatre-epices
200 gm Pate de foie
4 x Rashers bacon
100 ml Brandy
100 ml Creme fraiche
Method :
• This is a slightly simplified version of a recipe from the
bible of French cookery, Cuisine et vins de France, by
Curnonsky, the French gastronome and bon viveur born in
1872.
• Skin 8 lambs' kidneys, split them in half and core,
keeping the halves in pairs.
• Mix 200 g minced pork or chicken with 1 small egg yolk,
and a pinch of quatre-epices (nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and
pepper). Have ready 200 g pate de foie. Remove rinds from 4
rashers of bacon and cut them in half.
• Take each pair of kidney halves and put a thick layer
(about 1 cm) of the mince mixture on the inside of one half
and a thick layer of the pate de foie on the other. Sandwich the
stuffed halves together gently, wrap in half a bacon rasher and
secure with one or more toothpicks. Lay the bacon and kidney
parcels in a lightly oiled dish which can go from oven to top of
the stove and bake in a very hot oven for 10-20 minutes or
until cooked through.
• Transfer the parcels to a heated serving dish and put the
baking dish on a hot plate. Deglaze the dish With 100 mL
brandy and boil hard to reduce.
• Thicken with 100 mL creme fraiche or sour cream (or use
evaporated skim milk mixed with a little cornflour), taste and
season if necessary and pour over the kidneys. Serve.