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Roasted kidneys and braised fennel

Preparation time
less than 30 mins

Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour

Serves
Serves 2

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the roasted kidneys

  • 2 lamb’s kidneys, cut in half and tough core snipped out
  • 20g/¾oz unsalted butter
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • few sprigs thyme
  • 30ml/1fl oz Madeira
  • 100ml/3½fl oz veal glacé
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the kidney meatball

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 rosemary sprig, leaves chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 4 lamb’s kidneys, cores removed and minced
  • 400g/14oz lamb mince
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 50g/1¾oz caul fat
  • 300ml/10fl oz chicken stock or lamb stock

For the braised fennel

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
  • 2 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 150ml/5fl oz chicken stock
  • 25g/1oz unsalted butter
  • 20g/¾oz dill, roughly chopped

For the pangritata

  • 50g/1¾oz panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • ½ lemon, zest only
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.

  2. To make the kidney meatball, heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the olive oil and cook the shallot, rosemary and garlic until the shallot is translucent and soft. Mix the sweated shallot, rosemary and garlic with the kidney mince, lamb mince and Worcestershire sauce. Add the salt and pepper and mix until everything is well combined. Roll the meatball into around 12 small balls and wrap in the caul fat.

  3. Put into an ovenproof dish with the stock and roast for 15–20 minutes, basting frequently to glaze.

  4. For the braised fennel, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the fennel and shallots and fry for 25 minutes until softened. Add the stock and simmer for another 25 minutes until the fennel is completely soft. Stir in the butter and dill and keep warm until ready to serve.

  5. Season the kidneys. Place a frying or sauté pan over a medium high heat, then add the butter. When the butter is foaming, add the kidneys. Cook on each side for 2–3 minutes until golden. Add the garlic and thyme, followed by the Madeira and veal glacé. Reduce the liquid and glaze the kidneys, then leave them to rest whilst you prepare the rest of the dish.

  6. For the pangritata, toast the fennel seeds in a hot pan for a minute until fragrant, then remove and crush them using a pestle and mortar.

  7. Add the olive oil to the frying pan, along with the panko breadcrumbs, garlic and thyme. Fry the breadcrumbs until golden, then add the lemon zest and crushed fennel seeds.

  8. To serve, spoon the braised fennel onto a plate. Top with the kidneys, then garnish with the pangritata and half the kidney meatball. Finish with a spoonful of the reduced stock from the meatball.

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