Note: Sweetbreads are the thymus glands of calves and young animals. The gland gradually disappears as the animal matures. They are considered a delicacy and are often expensive. Sweetbreads are very mild in flavor and delicate in texture. They are usually braised or breaded and sautéed in butter. Before cooking, sweetbreads should be prepared according to the following procedure.

Sweetbread Preparation:

1. Soak sweetbreads in several changes of cold water for several hours or overnight. This removes blood, which would darken the meat when cooked.
2. Rinse sweetbreads one more time from soaking overnight. Add to a 2 gallon
   stock pot.
3. Prepare court bouillon; peel and slice carrot and onion. Slice celery add mirepoix to 2 gallon stock pot with sweetbreads.
Add water, vermouth and sachet, weigh sweetbreads down with a smaller lid then would fit pot properly, bring to a simmer and let cook for approximately 10-15 minutes or until sweetbreads are firm.
5. Remove sweetbreads and plunge in ice bath to cool.
6. After sweetbreads have been blanched and cooled, remove from ice bath to a clean container on ice. This is to keep sweetbreads cold during the cleaning process to remove the membrane.


7. Sweetbreads are now ready, reserve for later. They can be kept in this stage for approximately 2-3 days in the refrigerator.

Brown Butter Sauce:

1. Combine the heavy cream and butter in a 1 quart sauce pan, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Note: When bringing to boil stir occasionally and watch carefully so as the cream does not boil over. Once reduced to a simmer stir occasionally, allow to cook until the cream and butter breaks.


2. Once the cream and butter breaks you must stir constantly to toast the milk solids until golden brown, this will happen quickly, be careful not to burn the milk solids.


3. Once milk solids are golden brown remove from pan and allow cooling in a different container.


4. Once cooled, but still liquid, puree in blender to break up milk solids. You can make the brown butter one week in advance and just reheat in a water bath when needed.

Madiera Sauce:

1. Peel and small dice the shallots, reserve.


2. Peel and small mince the garlic, reserve.


3. In a small 1 quart sauce pot add clarified butter and shallots, lightly caramelize shallots.


4. Add garlic and sweat until fragrant.


5. Deglaze with 2 ounces of Madiera wine and reduce by half.


6. Add Demi-glace and sachet, reduce to sauce consistency.


7. Season with kosher salt and ground white pepper and strain through fine chinois.


8. At this point sauce can be held in a hot water bath or refrigerated for up to one week.

Garnish:

1. Cipollini Onions: One day in advance prepare cipollini onions: Place a 2 quart sauce pot on stove filled with water and bring to a boil. While that is coming to a boil, peel cipollini onions and reserve for cooking. Set up an ice water bath for refreshing cipollini onions once blanched. Season water with some kosher salt and blanch the cipollini onions for approximately 3-5 minutes or just until tender. Remove from boiling water and refresh in ice bath. Prepare balsamic marinade by combining 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of grape seed oil, kosher salt and ground white pepper to taste, mix thoroughly. Drain cipollini onions well and let marinate at least one day, they will last up to two weeks in marinade.


2. Creamer Potatoes: Place potatoes in a small pot and cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoons of salt and bring to a boil, once boiling turn down to a simmer and let cook until potatoes are fork tender. Remove from water and let cool on a sheet pan. Once cool refrigerate until needed. This procedure can be done one day in advance.


3. Set up an ice bath with plenty of ice and cold water to refresh the baby carrots, tomatoes and haricots verts once blanched.


4. Baby Carrots: Peel the baby carrots and place in a small pot with cold water and bring to a simmer.


5. In another 2 quart pot fill with water and bring to a boil.


6. Roma Tomatoes, Haricots Verts: While that is coming to a boil, with small paring knife, remove the stems from the roma tomatoes and score an X on the opposite end of tomato to prepare them for blanching to remove the skin and seeds. Also, remove the ends of the haricots vert, and reserve for blanching.


7. Once the water is at a rolling boil, blanch the roma tomatoes for about 15 seconds to just blister the skin and refresh in the ice bath. Remove tomatoes from ice bath, let drain, keep ice bath to refresh haricots verts.


8. Now season the boiling water with enough salt to make it taste like the ocean. This will retain the color of the haricots verts when cooking. Note; green vegetables release acid into the water and the evaporation, which will discolor the vegetables. To counteract the acid an alkaline must be added to the water, salt is an excellent alkaline. Also do not cover the pot or the acid released in the evaporation will be dispersed back into the water.


9. Once the water is back at a rolling boil and seasoned with salt, blanch the haricots verts for about 5 minutes or until al dente. The starches should be jelled completely when cooking any bean, to aid in the digestion process. Remove haricots verts and refresh in ice bath. Once chilled again remove from water, let drain and reserve for plating. This step can be done one day in advance.


10. Chanterelle Mushrooms: Clean the chanterelle mushrooms by brushing them with a dry pastry brush to remove any dirt, trim the stems and quarter if they are very large. Reserve for cooking.


11. Capers: Drain capers well and reserve for cooking.


12. Chives: Cut chives as small as you can and reserve for garnishing plates.


13. Lemon Juice: Cut Lemon in half and wrap in cheese cloth for last minute garnishing of plates.


14. Plating: Over medium high heat, pre-heat a large 12" sauté pan. Season sweetbreads with salt and ground white pepper, dredge in flour, reserve. Add clarified butter to sauté pan add potatoes, cipollini onion and carrots first. Let cook one minute then add sweetbreads, chanterelles and haricot vert, let cook two minutes or until sweetbreads are golden brown and heated through. Plate sweetbreads and sauce with brown butter, a splash of Madiera sauce, dice tomatoes, chives and lemon juice.