I first ate sweetbreads in the 1990’s when friends of our family invited us to their Easter Feast: whole lamb on the spit plus all the grilled appetizers served until the lamb is ready.

One of those grilled delights were sweetbreads. The usual kind you find are veal sweetbreads and they are the thymus glad from the calf. They belong to the offal family but there’s none of that liver taste. They are rich, buttery, delicate. I love the flavour of sweetbreads.

I’ve first had pan-fried or breaded sweetbreads at some Greek tavernas and now I want to share my version: dredged in an easy season flour mixture and fried ’til golden and crisp.

These simply need a squeeze of lemon zest to cut the richness and I like some piquante peppers for a little kick. Ask your butcher for veal sweetbreads then comeback and see me. Enjoy!

Fried Sweetbreads

(serves 4 as an appetizer)

1lb. veal sweetbreads

Poaching Liquid

1/4 cup + 2 tsp. sea salt

2 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 bay leaves

Coating

1 egg white

1/2 Tbsp. corn starch

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. sweet paprika

1/4 cup all purpose flour

Vegetable oil for frying

1. Into a medium pot, add all the ingredients plus your sweetbreads and add enough water to just cover them. Turn the heat on to medium and as soon as the water begins to simmer, turn down the heat to low and poach your sweetbreads for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and leave the sweet breads in the poaching liquid for 30 minutes.
2. Remove sweet breads from poaching liquid and allow to cool to room temperature. Place in the fridge to cool for minimum two hours to overnight.
3. Cut the pieces into bite-sized pieces, pat-dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper and place in a bowl with egg whites. In another bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and mix well with a fork. Add the sweetbreads into the four mixture and toss to coat.
4. Pre-heat your deep fryer or add oil into deep pot. Bring the temperature of your oil up to 360F (an oil thermometer comes in handy here).
5. Fry in batches for about 6-7 minutes or until golden, place on a paper-lined platter. Sprinkle some sea salt, serve with lemon wedges, some spicy pickled green peppers and serve.