2 pairs calf's sweetbreads (about 1 c finely chopped onions
1½ pounds) ½ c dry white wine
A 7-pound leg of lamb, boned but 1½ to 2½ c chicken stock, fresh or
not split, with shank meat cut off canned
1½ tsp salt 12 breakfast-type pork sausages
Freshly ground black pepper (abound 1 pound)
4 T butter, melted, plus 4 T butter, ¼ c water
cut into ½-inch bits, plus 4 T 2 lamb kidneys, peeled and trimmed
butter, softened of fat
1 T anchovy paste 2 T strained fresh lemon juice
4 T finely chopped fresh parsley The yolks of 4 hard-cooked eggs
2 tsp capers, finely chopped 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp crumbled dried thyme 8 thin slices homemade-type white
¼ tsp finely grated fresh lemon peel bread, cut into 3-inch rounds and
¼ tsp crumbled dried marjoram fried in 4 T butter
1 c soft fresh crumbs made from 8 capers
homemade-type white bread, 16 flat anchovy fillets
pulverized in a blender or finely
shredded with a fork
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Starting 6 hours or more ahead, soak the sweetbreads in several changes
of cold water for 3 hours. Place them in a 4-quart stainless-steel or
enameled pan and pour in 2 quarts of fresh cold water. Bring to a simmer
slowly over moderate heat and blanch the sweetbreads by simmering them for
3 minutes. With tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the sweetbreads to a bowl
of cold water to rest for 1 or 2 minutes. Pat them dry with paper towels,
and gently pull off as much of the outside membrane as possible.Cut the two lobes from the tube between each pair of sweetbreads with a small, sharp knife. Discard the tubes. Put the sweetbreads on a large flat platter. Cover them with a towel and weight them with a casserole or skillet weighing about 5 pounds to flatten and remove excess moisture from the sweetbreads. Refrigerate the sweetbreads for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 450°. Season the lamb on all sides with ½ tsp of salt and a few grindings of pepper. To prepare the stuffing, combine the 4 T of melted butter and 1 T of anchovy paste in a bowl and mix well. Add 2 T of parsley, the chopped capers, thyme, lemon peel and marjoram. Then stir in the bread crumbs.
Close the opening at the shank end of the leg of lamb by sewing it with a large needle and heavy white thread. Then fill the pocket in the lamb with the stuffing, and sew up the opening securely. Tie the leg of lamb crosswise in 5 or 6 places and lengthwise 2 or 3 times to hold it in a neat cylindrical shape. For the most predictable results, insert the tip of a meat thermometer at least 2 inches into the roast.
Set the lamb on a rack in a shallow roasting pan and roast it in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°. Sprinkle the chopped onions around the lamb, roast 15 minutes more, and pour the wine and 1½ c of chicken stock over the onions. Continue roasting for about 1 hour longer, or until the lamb is cooked to your taste. A meat thermometer will register 130° to 140° when the lamb is rare, 140° to 150° when medium, and 150° to 160° when well done. Ideally, the lamb should be medium-rare.
Half an hour or so before the lamb is ready to be served, prepare the garnishes: Combine the pork sausages and ¼ c of water in a heavy 10- to 12- inch skillet and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for 5 minutes. Then uncover the pan and, turning the sausages occasionally with a spatula, cook over moderate heat for about 5 minutes to brown them on all sides. Drain the sausages on paper towels, transfer them to a heated plate and cover with foil.
With a sharp knife, cut the sweetbreads crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Cut the kidneys crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices and then cut the slices into ¼-inch-wide strips. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet, melt 4 T of butter bits over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, add the sweetbreads and kidneys and, stirring frequently, fry for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the pieces are lightly browned. Add 2 T of lemon juice, ½ tsp of the salt and a few grindings of black pepper, and taste for seasoning. Remove the skillet from the heat and cover to keep the sweetbreads and kidneys warm.
Force the hard-cooked egg yolks through a fine sieve with the back of a spoon, then beat in the 4 T of softened butter. Add the remaining ½ tsp of salt and 1/8 tsp of white pepper, and taste for seasoning. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a star tube and pipe an egg-yolk rosette onto the center of each bread round. Set a caper on each rosette and arrange 2 anchovy fillets around it. Set aside.
When the leg of lamb has roasted its alloted length of time, transfer it to a large heated platter, and let it rest while you prepare the anchovy sauce.
Anchovy Sauce
2 egg yolks 2 to 3 tsp strained fresh lemon
2 T flour juice
1 T anchovy paste
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Strain the contents of the roasting pan through a fine sieve set over a
1-quart measuring cup, pressing down hard on the onions with the back of a
spoon to extract all their juices. Pour the liquid into a small saucepan
and add enough chicken stock to make two cups in all. Bring to a simmer over
low heat. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks, flour and 1 T of anchovy
paste with a wire whisk until smooth. Ladle 2 or 3 tablespoons of simmering
stock into the egg yolks and mix well. Whisking constantly, pour the yolks
into the pan and cook over low heat until the sauce thickens lightly. Do not
let the sauce come near a boil or the yolks will curdle. Taste and add 2 to 3
tsp of lemon juice.To serve, mound the sweetbreads and kidneys at both the ends and sides of the leg of lamb and sprinkle them with the remaining 2 T of parsley. Arrange the sausages and bread rounds attractively on the platter, and present the anchovy sauce in a bowl or sauceboat. Serves 8.
