José Pizarro's lamb's kidneys cooked in sherry

Lamb recipes

Kidneys are one of life’s great treats, says Thomasina Miers and this recipe is the perfect way to enjoy them.

‘Kidneys, when cooked well, can be one of life’s great treats. They have the makings of some of the fastest and most delicious suppers imaginable, and this recipe by Spaniard José Pizarro is one of those. The kidneys are added to softened onions and garlic and simmered in the dry, savoury notes of fino sherry. They’re then doled out over piles of garlicky mashed potato and scattered with sweet, meaty pine nuts. The result is a meal fit for a king. Alternatively, you could serve small dollops on silky linguine or crunchy crostini to create a truly spectacular starter or canapés. Heaven!’ Thomasina Miers

Lamb’s kidneys cooked in sherry (serves 4)
Extract from José Pizarro’s Seasonal Spanish Food
Published by Kyle Cathie

This dish is typical of Andalucía. It makes an excellent supper dish, served with olive oil-flavoured mashed potato. Lamb’s kidneys need to be thoroughly cleaned, so I recommend doing the following whenever you use them. First, quarter the kidneys, then leave them to soak for 15 minutes in acidulated, salted water: for every 500ml water you will need 50ml vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Rinse them in clean water. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a wok and stir-fry the kidneys for 4 minutes. Discard the juices, rinse in water then pat dry. The kidneys are now ready for use.

Ingredients
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 small white onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
10 lamb’s kidneys, prepared as above
Fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
100ml fino sherry
Mashed potato, to serve
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
50g pine nuts, toasted
5 flat-leaf parsley sprigs, chopped (optional)

Method
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until soft, for about 3 minutes, then stir in the kidneys. Season with salt and pepper, add the sherry, and let everything simmer for 5 minutes or until reduced to a creamy consistency.

Place a large dollop of mashed potato on four warmed plates, followed by some of the kidney mixture. Drizzle a small teaspoon of your most special extra-virgin olive oil over, then scatter over the pine nuts, and finally some chopped parsley, if you want to add some extra colour. Serve immediately.