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Calf brains on toast

by Merlin Labron-Johnson
  1. Calves brains on toast
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This calf brains on toast recipe from Merlin Labron-Johnson may not be for the offal novice, but for those who enjoy the wobblier things in life, this dish is a thing to behold. The simple lemon, parsley and caper sauce soaking into the toast and mingling with the caramelised brain will make your day.

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Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Calf brains

Toast

Lemon, caper and parsley sauce

SAVE RECIPE

Method

1
To begin, rinse the brains in cold running water for 30 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover with milk and leave in the fridge overnight
2
The next day, rinse the brains again and pat dry. Bring the court bouillion to a boil in a large pan, add the brains and remove the pan from the heat. Leave to poach for 8–10 minutes, depending on size
  • 1.5l court bouillon
3
After this time, refresh in iced water. Once the brains are cold, remove any outer membrane and residue of blood or nerve. Cut each brain into 2 pieces
4
Grill the 4 slices of bread under a grill on both sides until nicely toasted
5
Preheat oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
6
Heat a heavy cast iron pan until smoking hot. Dust the brains lightly with flour, season well with salt and fry in oil until golden on one side
7
Flip the brains over, add the butter and baste with the foaming butter until well-coloured on both sides
8
Transfer the brains to a tray and place in the oven for 2 minutes. While the brains are in the oven, make the sauce in the pan that the brains were cooked in
9
Add a good squeeze of lemon juice to stop the butter from burning – be careful as it will splatter. Add the veal glace and scrape the bottom of the pan well to release the caramelised flavours and bring everything together. Add the chopped parsley and capers
10
Place a slice of toast on each plate and top with half a calf's brain. Divide the sauce between the 4 plates, trying to cover the brains and toast completely. Grate a little lemon zest over the top to finish
First published in 2016
Merlin Labron-Johnson

After six years working in Michelin-starred restaurants in Switzerland, France and Belgium, Merlin Labron-Johnson returned to the UK to open Portland. Nine months later, he was awarded a Michelin star at just twenty-four years old. Now he can be found in Bruton, Somerset, with his restaurant Osip, which was awarded a Michelin green star in 2023.

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