2 lb pigs' hearts
1 small onion
4 oz fresh breadcrumbs
1 bay leaves
1 parsley
2 lemons (zest only)
1 egg, beaten with milk
2 tbsp milk, to beat with egg
2 tsp wine vinegar
1 french mustard
15 oz canned tomatoes
1 a little stock
2 oz butter
1 oz well-seasoned flour
1 few spoonfuls yoghurt (opt.)
Directions
You may get 2 or 3 large hearts for this weight or several smaller
ones. Whatever the size, they will be slashed; this is normal. Wash
the hearts and trim away waste - fat, membrane, gristle and arteries.
Soak in lightly salted water for 10 minutes then rinse, drain and dry
well. Chop the onion finely and soften it in 1 oz butter. Away from
the heat stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, 4 tablespoons parsley
and lots of salt and pepper. Bind with the egg and milk. Use the
mixture to stuff the heart cavities, and secure the openings with
toothpicks or cocktail sticks ~ there is no need to make perfect
closures.
Whizz the tomatoes in a blender, stir in the vinegar and add enough
stock to make up to 1 pint. Dust the hearts thoroughly with the
well-seasoned flour. Melt 1 oz butter in a flameproof casserole,
stir in the leftover flour and let it brown a little. Blend in the
tomato mixture and make a smooth, bubbling hot sauce. Lay the
prepared hearts in the sauce and tuck the bay leaves among them.
Cover with greaseproof paper and the lid, and cook at 325 F (160 C)
gas mark 3 for 1 hour. Turn the hearts gently and continue cooking
for 1 to 1-1/2 hours more until meat is beautifully tender.
Transfer the hearts to a warmed serving dish. Stir the mustard into
the sauce, add salt and pepper to taste - and carefully blend in the
yoghurt if liked. Pour the sauce over the hearts, scatter lavishly
with chopped parsley and serve with boiled potatoes or noodles.
Source: Philippa Davenport in "Country Living" (British) October 1987.
Typed for you by Karen Mintzias
Servings: 6 servings
Love In Disguise Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Alcohol; Beverage; French; Fruit; Soup
The History of Recipes
Written cooking instructions as an idea can be tracked way back into antiquity, in truth as far back into history as pharonic Egypt, and potentially, even further back. However, in the main part, these early cook books were just very simple pictorial, hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for food preparation.
In an interesting twist, the most ancient recipe discovered, according to food historians are some tablets in the Sumerian language which show the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who drank it feel exhilarated. Later on, in The time of the romans 25BC a roman called Apicius compiled a number of documents which described recipes enjoyed by wealthy roman citizens. In his publication, Apicius describes how the roman meals were divided into starters, main course and dessert, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. This early Roman chef tells us how the ancient chefs were skilled in the use of a wide range of aromatic flavours, including some familiar names like bay, mint and asafoetida. Later on, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought us many new foods and herbs from the holy lands, including spices like coriander, basil and rosemary. These new herbs and spices was responsible for an increase in recipe publications, some of which are kept safe in academic collections. Over the succeeding few centuries, the rich and powerful families of Wesstern Europe tried to serve the most extravagent meals, and consequentially the best chefs and their recipes could command a high salary. Nevertheless, it was during the nineteenth century that haute cuisine and recipe publications reached a high level of popularity. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, spent years to assembling, trying out, and writing down recipes to help cooks of their time. The TV revolution brings us celebrity chefs and the demand for the accompanying recipe books. Which brings us neatly up to date and the invention of computers and the internet, permitting us all to access massive numbers of recipes just like those on our site. |
We hope you enjoy this Love In Disguise recipe.
