No, the pieces that I eke out in the freezer for as long as I can are the offal. You can get several leg roasts from a sheep, but there are only ever two kidneys, for example.
Each one comes nestled in its little bed of suet. One day I shall risk roasting them as is, but out of deference to my arteries, perhaps not yet.
R loved them too. He would be transported into a reverie of delight at the memory of a plate of brochettes de rognons d'agneau (kidney skewers cooked on a charcoal grill) that he had in a restaurant in Tours many years ago. Steak and kidney pie inevitably gave rise to the complaint of too much steak and not enough kidney.
So this was a potential bone of contention given the tiny harvest.
A problem I surmounted by the simple expedient of eating them while he was away working, secure in the knowledge that he had no real idea of what there was in the freezer!
The two tiny kidneys that I found in the freezer the other day would scarcely fill a skewer, however, and they would be lost altogether in a pie.
They would therefore need a companion to make a successful supper dish, and what better than some home-cured bacon. Just an ounce or two would be enough along with some field mushrooms.
So, fry the diced bacon until the fat starts to run, then soften half a small, chopped red onion with a clove of garlic. Turn the heat up high and add the chopped kidneys and mushrooms. After a couple of minutes when the kidneys are browned nicely, deglaze the pan with a good splosh of sloe gin (marsala would be good too, or red wine with a teaspoon redcurrant or other fruit jelly to add a little sweetness). Turn the heat back down again and simmer gently until the kidneys are cooked through but still slightly pink (add a little boiling water if the pan contents start to stick). Season to taste and serve with plain-cooked butter beans. Top with a small handful of parsley if you have it.
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