Just one little bite....

At school last fall, during the Northern European unit, we spent two weeks working with offal. That’s a lot of time to focus on parts of the animal that most (Americans) wouldn't even look twice at, much less seek out to eat. However, I had a French teacher, who grew up eating just about any and every kind of offal. Now, to be quite honest, I don't love offal. I have a very open mind when it comes to food, and I’ve sampled and eaten (and liked) a lot of bizarre things (I adore fresh anchovies/sardines and any type of octopus/squid, fermented shrimp paste, etc), but offal is still a reach for me sometimes. So while we were spending a couple of days on the preparation and selection and cooking of sweetbreads, I had to extend my open mind to the possibility.

Sweetbreads have to be soaked in milk and then peeled, (which makes me squirm just a bit), and then cooked either shortly, (or forever) to yield a palatable texture. In the demonstration recipe by our chef instructor, the sweetbreads were soaked for several days, rinsed, peeled, seasoned, dredged in flour, and pan fried in very hot oil. They came out crispy and delicate, and weren't bad after all. (Really, anything fried like that can be ok). The class watched the preparation, then we all lined up after the demo, and as per usual, we were all given a small sample of the fried sweetbreads with a little bit of a French aioli with some dill. 16/17 people ate their prescribed sample and commented in round table form, as was expected. Each student had a chance to offer their culinary opinion. It varied: "um.... ok. It’s an interesting texture."
"Not bad! Maybe could use some lemon juice to finish?"
"Wow! I love it. Can I have more?"
"Not so much. Still can't quite like the fact that I’m eating....."
Finally, the circle was about to close- the last student (to remain unnamed) was up. His plate was untouched; his face was knotted up in a cement like scowl. "No way man. Not going to try it. That’s gross."
The class gasped. The professor almost fainted. What!!??!?!??! From a culinary student? A (young) man who professed a passion for becoming a real chef? I think not! My French instructor: "mon dieu! You would disgrace this food by refusing to try it???? I think not. You must." The student refused adamantly, even going so far as to make a scene dramatic enough to draw the attention of the entire kitchen. People were putting down knives and coming out of the walk -in just to hear this bizarre interaction. In the end, the student failed the offal section. Not because he didn’t' like it, or didn't have skills in cooking, but because he wasn't willing to step out of his comfort zone and try something new. (Oddly enough, for my end of section practical, I was the lucky one who was given 15 lbs of veal cheeks and tongue and told to make something fabulous. Talk about a weird piece of meat to work with, and in such quantity!) The lesson to be learned- just because it doesn't sound good, doesn't mean it can't become good. Besides, some of the best things around came by accident.

If you’re not quite up to feasting on offal, or want to learn more about working with the less common meats, join John and Caprial for “John’s Charcuterie Class.” We’ll be making deliciously rich pancetta, an essential Italian ingredient made from pork belly. That should be tempting enough, but to ice the cake, John will show us how to prepare a rich pasta with pancetta and fromage blanc, as well as a Maple Bacon Bread Pudding. The class will be held Tuesday, May 27th, at 6:30 pm.