Equipment
Ingredients
Kidneys
- 400 g lamb kidneys, halved and cored
- 15 g plain flour
- 30 g unsalted butter
Devilling Sauce
- 100 ml beef stock, warm
- 15 ml worcestershire sauce
- 10 g english mustard, paste
- 15 g tomato paste
- 1 g cayenne pepper
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
For Serving
- 160 g sourdough bread, thickly sliced
- 20 g unsalted butter, softened
- 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 608 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbohydrates
- 48 g
- Fat
- 27 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 1507 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 14 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 792 mg
- Potassium
- 688 mg
- Calcium
- 50 mg
- Iron
- 14.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 42 mg
- Phosphorus
- 526 mg
- Zinc
- 3.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 320 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 45 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 100.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.84 mg
- Riboflavin
- 2.60 mg
- Niacin
- 17.3 mg
- Folate
- 8 mcg
- Water
- 229 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Using a sharp paring knife, peel away any outer membrane from the lamb kidneys, halve them lengthwise, and carefully snip out the white fatty core. Wash your hands, knife, and cutting board thoroughly after handling raw offal to prevent cross-contamination.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, English mustard, tomato paste, cayenne pepper, and black pepper until completely smooth. Set aside.
Place the plain flour in a shallow dish. Toss the prepared kidneys in the flour to lightly coat them on all sides, shaking off any excess.
Melt the unsalted butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter is foaming, add the floured kidneys and sear for 2 minutes on each side until nicely browned.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour the devilled sauce mixture into the pan with the kidneys. Simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens and glazes the meat. Ensure the internal temperature of the kidneys reaches 71 degrees C (160 degrees F) for food safety.
While the kidneys are finishing their simmer, toast the thick slices of sourdough bread in a toaster until golden and crisp. Spread generously with the softened serving butter.
Place a piece of buttered toast on each warm serving plate. Spoon the devilled kidneys and the rich sauce generously over the toast. Garnish with finely chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- Removing the white central core of the kidney is completely non-negotiable. If left inside, it results in a tough, unpleasantly chewy texture that will ruin the dish.
- If you are sensitive to the strong flavor of offal, soak the prepared kidneys in whole milk for 30 to 45 minutes before patting them dry and proceeding with the recipe. The milk draws out impurities and significantly mellows the metallic taste.
- Use a robust, high-quality bread like sourdough. Standard sandwich bread lacks the structural integrity to support the rich, heavy sauce and will turn into mush on the plate.
- Devilled kidneys demand to be eaten immediately while hot. Do not let them sit, as the cooling butter and meat juices will congeal rapidly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Reheat gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of water. Microwave reheating will make the kidneys rubbery.
Troubleshooting
Kidneys are tough and rubbery
Cause: Overcooking the delicate offal tissue or boiling the sauce too aggressively
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Cook quickly over medium-high heat just until browned, then lower the heat and simmer briefly
Sauce is too thin and runny
Cause: Kidneys were not dusted with enough flour, or pan was covered during cooking
Fix: Remove kidneys from the pan temporarily, increase heat to high, and rapidly reduce the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes until thick
Prevention: Ensure an even coating of flour on the kidneys and leave the pan uncovered while simmering
Dish tastes overly metallic or strongly musky
Cause: The central white core was left inside the kidneys or the kidneys were of an older animal
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Thoroughly remove the white core. For an exceptionally mild flavor, soak the cleaned kidneys in milk for 30 minutes before cooking
Cultural Context
Devilled kidneys emerged in Victorian Britain as a highly popular breakfast and supper dish, famously favored in London gentlemen's clubs. The term devilled refers to the liberal use of fiery, piquant spices like cayenne pepper, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce, which were historically believed to stimulate a sluggish appetite and serve as an effective hangover cure.
