CHIPOTLE-GLAZED SWEETBREADS

by chef James Gaag of La Colombe

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Veal sweetbreads

1kg cleaned veal sweetbreads, soaked

200g butter

3g salt

2 star anise

1 sprig rosemary

2 sprigs thyme

10 black peppercorns

1 juniper berry

1t coriander seeds

Wagyu sirloin

1 Wagyu sirloin steak, or any high quality local beef, cut into loins and seasoned well

Chipotle glaze

3 cloves garlic

5cm thumb ginger

6 sticks lemongrass, crushed

1 stick cinnamon

1 star anise

200ml sake

300ml mirin

250ml light soy, green lid only

50g treacle sugar

100ml honey

2C tomato sauce,

150ml hoisin sauce

2 chipotle peppers

Corn purée

1kg frozen corn

250g butter

200ml cream

salt to taste

Coriander espuma

250g buttermilk

500g crème fraîche

1 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic

150g chopped coriander

zest and juice of 1 lime

salt

pepper

2 leaves gelatine

Miso dressing

140g white miso paste

50ml ponzu

1t sambal oelek

100ml rice wine vinegar

300ml canola oil

Teriyaki                      

200ml mirin

200ml sake

150ml light soy sauce

200ml water

150g sugar

30g peeled ginger root

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 bunch leeks, grilled

Garnishes

baby radishes, slices

confit lemon, julienne

micro herbs

popcorn

corn dust (pulp from the corn purée, dehydrated and blended)

baby sweetcorn in the husk, blanched and braaied

METHOD

Veal sweetbreads

1. Place all the ingredients into a vacuum bag and sous vide at 75°C for 45 minutes.
2. Chill completely and remove the membranes and sinew before portioning.

Chipotle glaze

1. Sweat the chopped garlic, ginger, lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise.
2. Add the sake, mirin and reduce.
3. Add the soy sauce, treacle, honey and reduce by half.
4. Add the tomato sauce, hoisin and chipotle and cook on a low heat until thickened.

Corn purée

1. Combine corn and butter in a pan, wrap top in clingfilm and steam/sweat the corn until it’s completely soft and has lost most of its moisture.
2. Remove lid/clingfilm and reduce rapidly with the cream until thick.
3. Blend to a smooth purée and season, pass and set aside.

Coriander espuma

1. Heat the buttermilk and crème fraîche with the onion and garlic and allow to infuse.
2. Strain whilst still hot, blend this mixture with the coriander, lime, seasoning and gelatine and pass through a sieve.
3. Chill completely and fill into an espuma gun and charge twice.

Miso dressing

1. Combine the miso, ponzu, sambal and rice vinegar in a blender and slowly emulsify in the canola oil.

Teriyaki

1. Combine all the ingredients in a pot and reduce very slowly until fragrant and syrupy.

To finish off

1. Dust the sweetbreads in seasoned flour and crisp in a hot pan with clarified butter.
2. Once crisp, glaze liberally in the chipotle glaze and slice in half.
3. Sear the Wagyu in a ripping hot pan after seasoning well.
4. Slice thickly and dress with miso dressing.

PLATING

1. Arrange both the sweetbreads and the Wagyu attractively on a plate, dot with sweetcorn purée, miso dressing and drizzle with teriyaki.
2. Finally, espuma on the coriander emulsion.
3. The baby corn is brushed with more of the dressing, and sprinkled with popcorn, sweetcorn powder and chopped coriander and served alongside.
4. Garnish the plate with micro herbs, sliced radishes and confit lemon.