BRAINS

Offal is a word capable of scaring even the manliest of men and many people are put off by only the thought of it. For most the mention of eating brains probably congers up memories of the monkey brain eating scene in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom but you really needn’t be scared.

As a chef I decided lambs brains were probably something I should try. I consider myself to be fairly open minded when it comes to food and as brains are available in every supermarket here in Spain I thought I should give them a go.

The idea that brains might actually taste good and not just be something to tick off a list first came to my attention via Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall.

After reading an article about them I decided to get some in and give them a try.

My first attempt failed miserably. I bought the brains a couple of days before my dad was coming out to visit so I could cook them up for us both to try. I was well up for tasting the wobbly looking fellas but I certainly wasn’t going to do it alone. Sadly when I came to open them up they were bad and had to be thrown in the bin, the idea was sidelined.

My second attempt was much more successful. This time it was while a really good friend was visiting, a friend who really knows how to eat and I knew he would appreciate the experience as much as me.

As we started preparing the brains we were like kids, taking silly photos and larking about but then we got down to the serious cooking.

I can’t take any credit for the recipe as with no experience I turned once again to Hugh for advice.

A really easy thing to cook, we poached them gently in water for about 20 minutes with a bay leaf, a chili and a spoon of vinegar, drained and cooled we dredged them in seasoned flour and pan fried them in half olive oil, half butter until they started to crisp up. At the last minute we threw in a hand full of capers and sage leaves.

Once we put it on the plate and served it up with slices of toasted baguette it actually looked rather appetizing.

Cutting into the brains for the first time, through the crispy outside into the smooth creamy middle I was a little bit nervous. As I spread it on a piece of toast I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. We both ate it at the same time.

As I started to chew I really was pleasantly surprised at just how good lamb’s brains are. If you imagine a creamy texture and delicate flavour like a cross between pate and foie gras, In fact if you like pate and foie gras I can guarantee you will love lamb’s brains. The capers and sage leaves from this recipe add a nice depth to the dish without detracting from the true flavour of the brains.

Whenever you thought of offal I’m sure that until now all that came to mind was liver and kidneys. From now on I implore you to delve a little deeper into the world of “nasty bits”. Don’t be scared to try new things, you might just be surprised.

THE HUMBLE PIG

What makes the pig so humble? I like to think if the pig could talk he’d actually be quite cocky. After all an animal with as much flavour from nose to tail, an animal that leaves no flap of skin to waste and an animal that brings so much pleasure to so many, probably has a lot to brag about. All playground arguments with the sheep and cows would be killed dead every time with one simple word, bacon! Back that up with sausage and the other animals would surely sulk off with feelings of inferiority.

Not to put down a good lamb chop or rib eye steak but the pig just offers so much more.

There are few things in this life as good as pork fat. A nice fatty belly, pork scratching or potatoes roasted in lard.

Let’s not forget all those yummy cured hams and dried sausages from Spain, Italy and Germany. Blood sausages with regional recipes from England, Spain and France, braised pig cheeks, ears, trotters, I could go on.

With evidence of food use dating back as far as 5000bc, pork is one of the most widely eaten meats accounting for 38% of meat production worldwide. Those statistics speak for themselves.

It takes no word from me to turn you on to the joys of the pig, and it really is a joy, as I’m sure you are all well aware of this most awesome of animals. This is just a simple shout out to show my appreciation for what should be known as “the arrogant and self assured, cocky pig”.

I for one am happy to be called a swine.

If you can get hold of a suckling pig then why not try this one out.

You can stuff your pig with whatever you want. I sautéed half a dozen red onions until they were really soft and then slung in half a bottle of red wine and let it reduce till it was nice and sticky, leaving time to drink the other half (a very important step in the recipe).

Let the onions cool a little and then add the liver of the pig, all chopped up, a couple of slices of bread all cubed up, 300-400g of good sausage meat, some chopped sage, some dried fruit (a handful of cranberries should do the trick) and lots of salt and pepper.

Season well your pig inside and out, stuff and sew up the cavity using some string and a large needle (one from the sewing kit will do fine).

Make a couple of slices in the skin to help form the crackling, pop a small ball of tin foil in the pigs mouth and your ready to go.

I know someone who achieves excellent result by cooking the pig for 24 hours in a low oven but in reality about 4 hours will be fine and it will come out tender and crisp.

Start off with a nice hot oven to get the crackling going and after about ten minutes or so turn it down to about 150ºC. Keep the ears and nose covered with tin foil for the majority of the cooking time otherwise they will burn, and you don’t want that as a nice crispy ear to chew on is excellent.

Keep basting the pig throughout to stop it drying out and use your common sense when it comes to the color of the skin. If it needs covering with some foil for a bit, do it, or if the oven needs turning up or down, do it. I’m only giving you a rough guide.

Make a bit of gravy from the juices if you haven’t burnt them and you are ready to go.

Now get your ass down to your butchers and see if he can get you one in time for next Sundays roast.