Sweetbread Casserole with Hedgehog Mushrooms, Bacon, Grapes, and Pinot Noir
Serves 4
Casserole
- 4 tbsp (60 mL) butter
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) sugar
- 3 oz (90 g) pearl onions, peeled
- 2 cups (500 mL) water
- 3 oz (90 g) hedgehog mushrooms
- 7 oz (200 g) sweetbreads
- 3 oz (90 g) bacon
Pinot Noir Reduction
- 1 shallot, diced
- 3 tbsp (45 mL) Pinot Noir
- ½ cup (125 mL) veal jus
- 1 tbsp (15 mL) cold butter, cubed
- 16 grapes, skinned
Set a pan over medium heat and add 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the butter and sugar. Stir in the onions and sauté for 2 minutes until some colour starts to show. Pour in the water, stirring gently. Cover the pan with a parchment paper circle with a hole cut out of the middle. Cook until caramelized, about 15 minutes over low heat, adding more water if necessary to prevent the pan from burning.
In another pan, heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the mushrooms until golden and tender, about 7 to 10 minutes.
In the third pan, sauté the sweetbreads with the remaining tablespoon of butter for about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the onions and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes. Add the bacon and sauté until crisp.
For the Pinot Noir reduction, heat a touch of butter in a saucepan over high heat. Sauté the shallots for 2 minutes, and deglaze with the wine. Add the jus. Turn the heat down to medium and continue to cook for another minute. Whisk in the cold butter. Add the skinned grapes.
Spoon the sweetbread, onion, mushroom, and bacon mixture into a small dish. Top with the Pinot Noir reduction and grapes.
Note: Hedgehog mushrooms are a wild variety found in the forests of North America and Europe. If they’re out of season, chanterelles may be substituted.
