Lamb Kidneys with Fried Onions, Rosemary and Sage
Region: Italy
Category: Variety Meats
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy

Kidneys are succulent and distinctive tasting, yet not nearly as strong as liver.  Make sure they are fresh and always cook them the day you buy them, or else freeze.  Supermarkets, although they don’t regularly have lamb kidneys, usually sell them by the pair when they do.  Cooking them whole retains more flavor and keeps them juicy.  If you have any leftover kidneys use them the next day in Penne with Kidney and Zucchini (see link below).  I usually serve this preparation as a first course.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Yield: Makes 2 servings
Preparation Time: 25 minutes

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 lamb kidneys (about 3/4 pound)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

4 sprigs fresh rosemary (2 sprigs chopped)

10 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 cup dry white wine

1. In a skillet, heat the olive oil with the garlic over medium-high heat until it begins to turn light brown.  Remove and discard the garlic.  Add the onions and cook until translucent, stirring or shaking the skillet frequently, 3 to 4 minutes. 

2. Add the kidneys, and season with salt and pepper and continue cooking until the onions are brown and the kidneys have almost stopped “bleeding,” that is, no pink juices will flow out of them, stirring, about 8 minutes. (If the onions are browning too much, remove them and return them to the skillet later).

3. Add the rosemary and sage and cook for 1 minute, mixing the herbs well.  Pour in the wine and cook until the wine is nearly evaporated.  Remove and discard the cooked rosemary and serve with a sprig of the uncooked rosemary.

Variation: 

Note: 

Posted: 01/02/2007

Referenced Recipes:

Penne with Kidney and Zucchini