Skinning Lamb's kidneys...

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grumbledoak

Original Poster:

32,084 posts

246 months

Thursday 6th December 2007
quotequote all
I want to make a Lancashire Hot Pot tomorrow, and found Lamb's kidneys in the market (50p each!) as per the recipe. But it says "cored and skinned".

Assuming the core is what I think it is, if I chop them in half and cut out the 'core', can I pull the skin off or do you have to cut it off ?

As you can probably guess, I don't eat a lot of offal. Any advice appreciated.

TTFN.

escargot

17,121 posts

230 months

Thursday 6th December 2007
quotequote all
No idea, but i'm sure it'll be offally nice.

grumbledoak

Original Poster:

32,084 posts

246 months

Thursday 6th December 2007
quotequote all
escargot said:
No idea, but i'm sure it'll be offally nice.
I believe it is traditional to finish posts like that with
"Thanks, folks. I'm here all week. Don't forget to try the buffet."


Rob-C

1,488 posts

262 months

Thursday 6th December 2007
quotequote all
From Philip Harben, "Traditional Dishes of Britain," 1953.

Ingredients (4 portions)

1 1/2 lb scrag-eng neck of mutton, 1 1/2 lb potatoes, 1lb onions, salt, pepper, 1 cup water.

and that's it.

I have heard of oysters going into a hotpot before now (years ago oysters were a common and worthless) but not kidney.

And absolutely, positively, definitely not carrots.


grumbledoak

Original Poster:

32,084 posts

246 months

Thursday 6th December 2007
quotequote all
Thanks Rob, but I'll try to stick to Delia's recipe, as this is my first time. No plans to add carrots; I don't like the way they sweeten meat dishes.

Sounds like I'm in for some 'icky' experimentation tomorrow!

Rob-C

1,488 posts

262 months

Thursday 6th December 2007
quotequote all
Be careful not to add too much water. According to Harben, the water should be virtually all gone by the time cooking is complete. Otherwise you're making an Irish Stew, not a hotpot.

Having been on the receiving end of too many pisspoor "hot pots" which were served simply as a workaround of outdated licensing laws (years ago you could have a late bar so long as you were serving a sit-down meal) I have to agree. Two lumps of carrot, a massive lump of spud and a tiny crumb of meat all swimming in clear water = vomit

The spuds should be toasted on top, tender underneath; the meat needs a long cooking time and should be falling apart, but not burnt dry. Any remaining fluid should be in the form of a thick gravy that has formed in the bottom of the dish all by itself.

God I think I'm going to have to buy a neck end this weekend myself.


condor

8,837 posts

261 months

Friday 7th December 2007
quotequote all
Lamb's kidneys nowadays are already skinned...but if your's aren't ...the skin looks like a cling-film membrane,and will come off easily.
Coring them takes some time, but cut them in half and with a knife remove the core.

grumbledoak

Original Poster:

32,084 posts

246 months

Friday 7th December 2007
quotequote all
Thanks condor!

They were, indeed, already skinned. Or, at least, I couldn't find anything remotely 'skinny' on them. Cut them in half, and cored with them scissors. HotPot is in the oven!

Pizza delivery number on speed dial, just in case!

Rob-C

1,488 posts

262 months

Saturday 8th December 2007
quotequote all
So was it nice then?

I got a neck end of lamb for less than £2 from my local butchers today. It's in the oven right now yum


grumbledoak

Original Poster:

32,084 posts

246 months

Saturday 8th December 2007
quotequote all
It was lovely! Well done Delia ( "Complete Illustrated Cookery Course" ).

Mind, "Serves 4" - my arse! I ate half of it in one sitting, and it was an effort of will to put the rest in the freezer.

Thanks for the advice.

Edited by grumbledoak on Saturday 8th December 15:59