Cervelle à la Poulette

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large nonreactive bowl
• •3-quart (3-liter) nonreactive saucepan
• •Fine-mesh skimmer
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Thin, sharp slicing knife
• •12-inch (30 cm) wide sauté pan
• •Thin flexible spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak and clean

   Set the brains in a nonreactive bowl and cover them with 2 quarts of the cold water. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, drain without splashing, then cover with another 2 quarts of fresh cold water and soak for 25 minutes more. Working with the brains submerged, lift away the thin outer membrane, dark veins, and any blood clots with your fingertips. Be patient, not forceful. A small tear will disappear beneath the sauce, but pulling at the lobes will break them before cooking.

   Keep the brains cold throughout cleaning and contain the water in the bowl. Wash the bowl, knife, board, and your hands thoroughly after handling the raw offal.
2. 2

   Cook mushrooms white

   Combine the remaining 1 quart water, the vinegar, and the salt in a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan. Bring it just to a simmer, add the mushrooms, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until barely tender and still clean white. Lift them out with a fine-mesh skimmer, drain well, and measure 3 oz (85 g) for the dish. The acidulated water keeps their color pale, exactly as the entry requires.

3. 3

   Poach the brains

   Lower the cleaned brains whole into the same acidulated liquid and adjust the heat until the surface barely trembles. Poach gently for 12 to 18 minutes, depending on their size, until the thickest part reaches 160°F (71°C). Do not judge by color and do not let the liquid boil hard; a rolling boil roughens the surface and can split the lobes. If that happens, lower the heat at once and leave the brains undisturbed until fully cooked. Let them stand in the liquid for 10 minutes off the heat, then lift them out carefully.

4. 4

   Chill and slice

   Set the brains on a small tray and refrigerate them uncovered for about 20 minutes, just until firm enough to cut cleanly. With a thin, very sharp knife, slice them crosswise about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick. Draw the blade through in one motion rather than pressing downward, then blot the slices gently. Cold brains slice; warm brains collapse.

5. 5

   Warm sauce and mushrooms

   Pour the prepared Sauce Poulette (No. 101) into a wide 12-inch sauté pan and warm it over low heat until it loosens and gives the first lazy bubble. Add the cooked white mushrooms and warm them for 1 minute. Never boil the finished sauce. If it turns greasy at the edge, take the pan off the heat and whisk in the optional tablespoon of cold water before adding the brains. Ça se rattrape.

6. 6

   Turn in the brains

   Lay the brain slices in the sauce in a loose single layer. Spoon a little sauce over the tops, then hold the pan by its handle and roll it in two or three small circles so the sauce turns the slices without a spoon touching them. Warm for 2 to 3 minutes, only until the centers are hot. If a slice fractures, stop moving the pan, slide the pieces beneath an intact slice with a thin spatula, and cover them with sauce. Never apologize at your own table.

7. 7

   Dish and serve

   Slide the slices into a warmed deep serving bowl or timbale, keeping the best-shaped pieces on top. Pour over every drop of sauce and mushrooms, then sprinkle with the finely chopped parsley. Serve immediately, while the sauce is glossy and the brains remain tender. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Buy calf's brains only from an inspected butcher or processor authorized to sell bovine brain under your local food rules. Fresh is excellent when truly fresh; properly frozen brains are an honest choice and should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator.
• •Prepare Sauce Poulette (No. 101) from its separate entry and measure it only after it is finished. Do not replace it with a generic cream sauce. The word carries the technique, and its lemon, mushroom, and butter balance is what keeps this very rich offal lively.
• •Slice the brains cold and use a broad pan for the finish. Crowding forces you to stir, and stirring is how the slices break. The final warming should take minutes, not a long holding period.
• •Serve with plain boiled potatoes or buttered rice and a sharply dressed green salad. A dry white Burgundy or a firm Loire Chenin Blanc has enough acidity for the sauce without bullying the delicate brain.
• •The finished dish is best eaten at once. If leftovers are unavoidable, refrigerate them within 2 hours and use them within 1 day; reheat very gently to 165°F (74°C), spooning the sauce over rather than stirring.

Advance Preparation

• •The brains may be soaked, cleaned, poached, and chilled up to 6 hours before serving. Keep them covered in the refrigerator and slice only when cold.
• •The mushrooms may be poached earlier the same day, drained thoroughly, and refrigerated separately. Bring them out while the sauce warms.
• •Have Sauce Poulette (No. 101) measured and ready before slicing the brains. It is best completed close to serving because repeated heating dulls its off-heat butter finish.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 235g)