This is a remarkable sweetbreads recipe from Adam Simmonds that tastes as good as it looks. Serve these veal sweetbreads with an intriguing combination of cockles and a mock-couscous, made using cauliflower.
To make the veal sauce, in a frying pan, lightly caramelise the diced veal in hot oil. Once lightly browned, add the butter. Continue to cook until golden brown, then strain
Put the stocks and wine into a clean pan, bring to the boil, add the caramelised shallots and ¾ of the shoulder and cook for 20 minutes. Then, pass through a sieve, reduce in a fresh pan, and add the remaining ¼ of the shoulder
200ml of white wine
400ml of brown chicken stock
400ml of white chicken stock
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For the cauliflower couscous, place a pan onto the stove and add the butter. When foaming, add the grated cauliflower. Cook without colouring, until tender, but still with a bit of a bite. Season and drain
For the cauliflower purée, steam the cauliflower florets until ¾ cooked, then season with the salt and continue to cook until soft. When cooked, place into a blender and blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required
For the cockles, heat the oil in a pan and add the sliced shallots and thyme. Sweat down, then add the cockles and roll them around in the pan. Add the wine and cover immediately for 2-3 minutes. Once cooked, take the pan off the heat and drain in a colander. Cover with cling film, separate the meat from the shells, and reserve both the juice and meat until required
To make the cockle gel, place the liquor in a bowl. Sprinkle in the Ultratex and whisk in thoroughly. Allow to stand and it will thicken
10g of ultratex
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Bring the water up to 60°C and remove from the stove. Add the Parmesan and stir, then leave to infuse for 30–40 minutes depending on how strong the cheese is. Pass through a fine sieve, then weigh out 250ml of the liquid into a suitable bowl. Sprinkle the Ultratex in, whisking constantly
Dice the sweetbreads into equal size pieces. Place onto a dry cloth and dry properly. Fry in a frying pan with the grapeseed oil. When they begin to colour, add with the butter one chunk at a time and continue to cook on a relatively high heat until golden brown, then drain
To serve, place dots of cauliflower purée on the plate. Scatter with the couscous, then the sweetbreads and cockles. Spoon on the girolles and then the cockle gel
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Finish the dish with very thin slices of raw cauliflower and sea purslane. Spoon over the warm veal sauce
