Mutton Kidneys à la Française (Entrée)

Ingredients

• 6 whole fresh mutton kidneys
• 1 large dessertspoonful minced herbs
• pepper or cayenne
• fine salt
• 2 ounces butter
• 1 dessertspoonful flour
• 1/3 pint gravy or hot water
• 1/2 whole lemon
• Harvey's sauce or mushroom catsup
• fried sippets
• 1 dessertspoonful minced shallots (eschalots)
• 2 dozen small shallots (eschalots)

Instructions

1. Skin and clean six to eight fresh mutton kidneys, removing the fat without opening them.
2. Slice them rather thin and strew over them a large dessertspoonful of minced herbs—two-thirds parsley and one-third thyme—seasoned well with pepper or cayenne and fine salt.
3. Melt two ounces of butter in a frying-pan over a quick fire.
4. Put in the kidneys and brown them quickly on both sides.
5. When nearly done, stir in a dessertspoonful of flour and shake them well in the pan.
6. Pour in one-third of a pint of gravy (or hot water if gravy is not available), the juice of half a lemon, and as much Harvey's sauce or mushroom catsup as will pleasantly flavour the whole.
7. Bring the gravy to the point of boiling.
8. Pour the kidneys and sauce into a dish garnished with fried sippets, or lift out the kidneys first, give the sauce a boil, and pour it over them.
9. Fry for 6 minutes total.