Kidney Stew

Childhood memories - kidneys used to be my absolute favorite. For birthdays we were always allowed to wish what should be cooked. And I always had kidneys with rice. Today I’m taking it easy, it’s been years since my last kidneys, so now it’s that time again.

That’s what happens when you finish early on a Friday morning and then go to the market - you buy things that aren’t on the plan, but that finally want to be cooked again. So to kick off the Cologne cooking weekend, first a little kidney stew.

I buy

• 1 beef kidney (650g, cleaned approx. 500g)

clean them carefully from the white tendons and put the pieces for 1 hour in water, which I change again and again. I bought the kidney from the organic butcher, so I am sure that it is not contaminated. Next I put

• 300g boiled potatoes

on. This is also a rare treat in our jacket potato household! Then I clean

• 300g mushrooms
• 1 small onion

and cut the mushrooms into thin slices. and the onion into small cubes. I saute the onion in butter first and then add the mushrooms. I season with

• salt
• lemon juice
• a little saffron

and let everything fry for 5 minutes. Now I have to hurry, because the kidneys still want to be cut into thin slices. I take a new pan and fry the kidney pieces - more precisely I try, because they are very watery and almost do not fry at all. The whole thing takes maybe another 3 minutes. Then I add the vegetables again and taste with

• salt
• pepper
• a shot of Calvados

Wonderful - like in former times!

kidney ragout with champignons