Lambs’ Sweetbreads Pies

Shaun Hill

Shaun Hill

10th March 2022
Shaun Hill

Lambs’ Sweetbreads Pies

40 min

Lambs’ sweetbreads are smaller than calves’ but much easier to source and also much cheaper. Butchers will have this sort of thing in stock but supermarkets, anxious to sell you what is easiest for themselves, may need a day or two’s notice. I use a smaller version of these pies in my restaurant alongside some roasted rack of lamb to make a dish contrasting the textures of these different parts of the same beast. You can, of course, do the same if you want.

Serves 4 people


Image Credit: Tamin Jones

Ingredients

  • 24 Lambs’ sweetbreads
  • 10ml white wine
  • 8 fresh or soaked dried morel mushrooms
  • 10ml olive oil
  • 2 shallots - chopped
  • 1 large chicken breast or 2 small ones
  • 2 eggs
  • A grinding of nutmeg
  • 50ml double cream
  • 1kg puff pastry
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180*C/ Fan 160*C/ gas mark 4
Poach the sweetbreads for 3-4 minutes in just enough water and the wine to cover.
They should be set but not hard. Leave to cool in the cooking liquor.
Pat the sweetbreads dry, then cut into medium-sized dice. Lambs’ sweetbreads aren’t very large, so this will probably involve just quartering them.
Dice then blend the chicken breast in a food processor. Add the eggs, nutmeg, seasoning and cream, then blend for a a few more moments.
Roll out the puff pastry as thinly as you can, then cut into eight rounds, about 16cm in diameter - you want two per portion.
Stir the sweetbread mix into the chicken mouse. Spoon the mixture into the centre of four pastry rounds. Moisten the edges with cold water and cover each with a second pastry round. Refrigerate until needed.
Bake the pies for about 30 minutes.

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