Harper's cook book encyclopædia

Sweetbreads.— Soak in cold water at least an hour, changing the water three or four times. When they are perfectly white they are ready for cooking. Put them in cold water and let it gradually heat to a simmer ; keep simmering twenty minutes. Then blanch by putting them in icewater. Drain, remove all pipes and fibres possible, tie them up in a cloth, and put a little weight on them until they are cold. Sweetbreads with Asparagus Tips. — Put in lukewarm water for one hour three pairs of large sweetbreads. Remove all the fat and skin with the utmost care ; do not leave the slightest particle of them; this is a very important point. Rinse them well in cold water, and put them in a saucepan with two quarts of cold water, one good - sized onion, sliced, two cloves, three sprigs of parsley, one bay-leaf, one-half table-spoonful of salt. Boil ten minutes, remove, and plunge them in cold water. Drain well and put them in a flat saucepan with one-half pint of good beef broth. Cook them over a slow fire until all the broth is absorbed ; turn them over once, taking care not to break them. They must become of a light - brown color. Add again two gills of broth ; cook till reduced to half ; place the sweetbreads on. a warm platter. Procure one jar or can of the best asparagus tips, remove them with care, and dip them one by one in cold water. Lay them on a clean BREADS napkin to drain. Cut them two inches long, and put, just long enough to warm, in the gravy remaining irom the sweetbreads. Arrange them on one side of the platter. Remove the saucepan from the fire, and add two table-spoonfuls of fresh butter. Stir well with the gravy, and pour it over the sweetbreads. Serve very hot. Sweetbreads, Broiled, with Duxelles Sauce. — Soak two large pairs of sweetbreads; remove skin and pipes and leave them in cold water for one hour. Put in a saucepan two quarts of water with one sliced onion, four sprigs of parsley, two cloves, half a bay-leaf, and one teaspoonful of salt. Boil for five minutes ; drain the sweetbreads, and put them in; boil slowly for twelve minutes. Drain again and leave them in a bowl of cold water until cold ; then dry them with a clean towel; put them between two platters with a weight over; this for one hour. Then cut them in two lengthwise, in order to make a flat surface. Melt two table-spoonfuls of good butler. Sprinkle each sweetbread with one salt-spoonful of salt and half a one of pepper. Roll them well in the melted butter and afterwards in fine white bread-crumbs freshly made. Broil them five minutes on each side, and serve on a hot platter. The sauce Duxelles must be prepared beforehand : Remove the stems of four large mushrooms ; peel and wash the stems and chop them. Chop separately one table- Croquettes of SWEETBREADS A la Newburg