The market · Meat · France and the north-west, The Americas
Sweetbreads
The thymus glands of calves and lambs: pale, creamy and mild with a delicate richness — crisp outside and soft within when fried.
creamy · mild · delicate
Kinds
- Veal
- The prized ones; the round 'heart' sweetbread is better than the longer throat piece.
- Lamb
- Small and cheaper; quick to fry.
- Mollejas
- In Argentina, grilled slowly over coals until crisp.
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- Order them from a butcher, fresh or frozen. They should be plump and pale pinkish-white.
- Worth knowing
- Soak them in cold water for a few hours to draw out the blood, poach for 2–3 minutes, then peel off the membrane and press them flat in the fridge. Slice, dust with flour and fry in butter until deep gold.