For those wondering: one potential reason this is called sweetbreads is because the thymus is sweeter than regular meat, and bread may actually come from 'brede' meaning roasted meat.
@@rinforzando4497 spellings weren't standardised and meanings were often vague back in the day, brede and bræd could easily be the same word with the same rough meaning.
Thank you!! I was so confused because I work at a bakery and we have a bread loaf that has fruit swirls and icing in top and we call it sweet bread lol, and I was wondering what meat had to do with sweet bread lmao
My Grandmother, who was born in 1908, loved sweetbreads and brains. When I was a kid in the 60s they had little cans of brains at the grocery store. She would scramble them with eggs for breakfast and always tried to get me to try them but I just couldn't. She grew up on a farm in East Texas, the daughter of a share cropper, so absolutely nothing went to waste. Especially when you have 12 kids.
Brains as a food were just more popular in the past. My parents who are WW2 generation tell me that brain sandwiches were commonly served at restaurants and cafeterias in the 1930s & 40s (and I'm guessing earlier as well). So I don't think it was just a rural farm tradition.
I literally have an older cookbook with a recipe for scrambled eggs and brain! It’s something I’ve always wanted to try but I totally get the off putting nature of them
Still sell them in Asian markets and prorably gourmet or ethnic butchers Not to popular since MAD COW. Never popular for me no way now how even if Julia made them b served them I'd say no Allergic !
The bouquet in during the fry is meant to soak up butter and infuse it with the flavour of the herbs. The heat wakes the flavour and lightly alters the herbs to soften the more harsh components of the aromatic flavours, and gives it all a decent chance to infuse. That way the flavour is in the oil as well as the liquid components of the dish.
@@ottomattix86 when you are talking to someone with extensive herb-eating background (born Southern Viet, currently in France, bit of Chinese heritage) then it's not so random. It does have a very fresh fragrance to it, no? Mom usually just use the soft bits of cilantro leaves on chicken soup, so I tend to use the roots of it and another herb with the same flavour (fish wort, or Houttuynia cordata) on stuff that's rather spicy or slow-braised like a braised pork or sth like that. And it is indeed awesome.
My first try of sweetbreads was at a French restaurant many years ago. My dad ordered them. They were dredged in flour and lightly pan-fried until a little golden on the outside. I got a taste and my brain exploded. Tender, creamy, and very mild flavor. I had entree envy all night, they were that good. I order sweetbreads whenever I can, which is rarely, since they are uncommon on menus at best. I have always found that organ meats can be really good if cooked with care, or horrible if cooked carelessly. I draw the line at brains due to mad cow disease and other prion illnesses. (Studied biology...know too much to ignore)
I've known about prions and how scary they are for quite a long time, but only recently found out that those misfolded proteins are only destroyed with heat of like... 1,000 C! That is so bonkers to me. That anything biological thing can remain intact above the melting point of silver!
My first try was also several years ago at Bayona in New Orleans. I live fairly near and have never had any other entree there, though I've been multiple times, because the fried sweatbreads are so phenomenaly good.
I used to help my mum prepare sweetbreads. You have to remove all the membrane thus separating the lobes. We used to crumb and fry them, tasted like the most tender baby veal. Sweetbreads are the only ‘variety meat’ aka offal that I can stand. They are highly prized by chefs.
My family use to eat cow brains and sweet bread. Not a fan personally. Metallic and stringy in my opinion. As a kid there was no doubt I was eating brains and it disturbed me.
CORNINGWARE cookware can be taken straight from the fridge or freezer to the burner, oven, or microwave. The stoneware interior is entirely non-porous and non-leaching, so there are no issues with cracking or shattering glass lids. The glass lids are oven safe to 500 degrees and can be used in microwaves.
Yes, but the big cast iron pan he was cooking in is, literally, a braiser. Like, that is actually the name of the cookware and it goes from stove to oven to table as well as fits the purpose of the cooking style all in one. He didn’t need the casserole dish at all.
Thanks for the remarks. I really thought the spot heat of the flames would cause it to burst. Even though you say it's safe, I don't think I will try it.
@@vincentlevarrick6557 It does have a lid and he has the upgrade with a metal knob so that it can go in the oven. He’s has bought that same pan at least 3 times (2 grey and 1 red) so far, so I KNOW he knows what it is called. He so dang funny.
I had my first taste of sweetbreads just about 10 years ago now - entirely without knowing what I was eating! I was working at our local KMart before it went out of business, and while on my lunch break one of my coworkers came in and asked if I wanted any of his family's traditional sweetbread recipe. He had brought them in for the holidays, but was upset that no one else was willing to eat them. I felt bad that he was being passed over, so I had some, and they were a delight! They were cooked in some kind of sweet, savory, salty sauce - it reminded me of chicken teriyaki, but so much more tender and creamy in a way I didn't know how to really articulate. I didn't find out what kind of meat it was until years later!
So proud of you for not getting into the mushroom debacle. If it makes you feel any better my Russian ex-mother-in-law forced me to eat her Christmas whole fish in aspic, with a layer of pickled beets and a 1-inch layer of mayo over that. It was called "herring in a fur coat." Honestly, who would have thought the name would be more appetizing than the actual dish?
I am so sorry, that you were forced to eat it. My husband took a glance and gracefully declined. Good for me, since I love it so much. My mom would usually make a bowl just for me alone.
@@schattentanz9458 I can make light of it now, but she was a really mean woman lol. I mentioned the herring but I didn't mention the 100s of fabulous Russian dishes there are. Truthfully I could probably eat my way through every country.
Herring in a fur coat is a popular dish in a lot of eastern European countries and despite herring and beets never being my favorite I still could stomach the dish because it was okay unlike the monstrosity you described. Whole fish in aspic? Your ex mother-in-law is crazy
Will I ever make this? No. Was this the most enjoyable thing I’ve watched this weekend? Yes. Love this show. My 7 month old and I love watching Jamie and Julia ❤
Great episode! Takes me back to my childhood: My old world Italian grandparents would slip us fried brains (dipped in egg and breadcrumbs) and try to convince us it was either a veal or chicken cutlet. While the taste was sort of close, the texture was not and for a long time I thought I hated the meats. Then when I was older and knew what they were giving me, it was a real a-ha moment on how often they had given us them. They weren’t horrible (they have a mild taste) and I’m all for not letting anything go to waste but I can’t get past the texture and I’m not planning on eating them ever ever again. 😂
Same! the texture puts me off every time. My mother loves brains (and lungs too!) and she'll often have those as a treat (funny, bc when you try to buy them here, butchers usually give it away for free bc it's considered dog food lol). I myself adore liver, but cannot stand the "white" stuff.
@@parvanaturalia When you think about how much of the animal isn't really used directly anymore... i like liver (a lot) more than steak when prepared properly, but good luck finding it on most menus. Or even just a butcher shop.
When I was a kid it never occurred to me what "scrambled-eggs-and-brains" actually were. They are delicious and with the eggs the texture is much more palatable. I never fix them myself though. It's something my grandmother used to make for she and I. Haven't had them since she passed away.
The texture really is the part, I can't get past, same with rumen(?). When I was in China my hostfamily always ordered those when we went out for hotpot and I'm usually all for using as much of the animal as possible - I really enjoy liver, hearts and pig feet, if prepared correctly - but those I could never get into, no matter how much I tried.
Where have I been? This is the best channel for recipes, bringing Julia to everyday people like me who have avoided her because of the threat of failure, making me fall off my chair laughing and now making me approach the kitchen with reckless abandon! Many thanks to you from a village in Ontario!!
I grew up in a Greek household , my parents would make sweetbreads and brains often! I found it repulsive and wouldn’t eat them, as a child I thought why can’t we just have Mac and cheese like the other kids! Lol 😂
I've heard of sweetbreads but this is the first time I've seen them. Shocked at how big they are! I always imagined them to be a little bigger than a kidney!
Loved every second of this! I'd be shocked if your beautiful new 100% ceramic dish can't withstand direct heat from stove top applications. I found that the herb bouquet works better with 'wider holed' cheesecloth, but it's meant to soak up butter so it can extract oils from the herbs and redistribute them once liquid is added to the pan.
@@ottomattix86 instead of fishing out all the herbs later, one can remove one 'bunch'. Depending on the recipe, some herbs become bitter and it's easier to remove them all versus trying to find the one/few that shouldn't stay in the pot.
I’ve never tried Sweetbreads or Brain. When I saw this video today I thought “you brave young man, you.” But I will take your word that it was good. So enjoy your channel. Looking forward to seeing more. ❤
Offals can be excellent but its best to be introduced to them at the hand of someone who really knows how to cook them, that way you have a metric for their potential. Taking it on yourself, bravo good sir, its a gnarly task. All these foods can be made to be delicious though
Actually...in Argentina sweetbreads are a delicacy, and as such, VERY expensive...we just grill it til it's crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, then a dash of lemon juice and voilá, absolutely delicious
I remember my grandparents talking about sweetbreads. I liked the episode, could only listen to the audio, I couldn't bring myself to look, (preconceived visual in my head since childhood, lol). Enjoyed listening though! Keep them coming Jamie!
Just a tiny comment… French recipies are based on the ingredient that’s available and freshest at the time. So basically, this recipe is a standard mirepoix with no garlic because the gland is so delicate, but it’s really not about the flavor of the sweetbreads-they were just available on that particular date, in France, at the market... Fun video. :)
Sweetbreads may refer to thymus or the pancreas interchangeably. The best I ever had was in Cyprus and were marinated lamb sweetbreads souvlaki, grilled quite brown. Incredible.
My family would grill these every cook out, but I knew them as mollejas. They would get a bit crispy on the edges but still tender on the inside, and I loved them. It wasn’t until I was a teen that I found out what they were. 😂 I still think they’re delicious, but have never tried them any other way.
Sweetbreads used to be more common fifty years ago and were considered fine dining. I remember when I wiated tables at a residence dining hall for seniors (a fancy place) they would serve them on toast in some kind of white sauce. They must have separated all the lobes, because they looked like lumps on toast. I never tried them (they didn't feed us there) and haven't to this day. I don't mind liver and I've eaten haggis but I wouldn't go out of my way for these.
@@Llortnerof a haggis bought at the Edinburgh airport, frozen. Taken to (legal) Germany for a dinner with Canadian friends and a Scottish friend got one as well, and pronounced it "A guid haggis" It was delicious. Kind of a fluffy, liver-flavored pudding, best I can describe it.
My grandma and my mother used to make fried sweetbreads. They pulled most of that stuff off and they did break into small pieces. They dipped them in flour then in egg then back into flour. They fried the small pieces until they were crispy. They were delicious, I would try to make them if I could find them.
I love that sweetbreads are slowly making a comeback, at least here in Denmark. A few years ago, upscale restaurants were obsessed with them (and other types of organs and intestines) and now they're more readily available than they were before. I think it's fun to cook and it can be absolutely delicious, when done right!
Ok not French will have to look into this but if you ever go to a Mexican place and they offer that ina taco buy it, it’s amazing. Also it makes a killer stock, all that connective tissue’s yields the most unctuous liquid.
@@richbulena8847 prion diseases. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and its variants, including Mad Cow disease can be transmitted by eating infected brains. Prions can't be killed by heat. There's a reason humans are generally repulsed by the idea of eating brains. Just because you can eat something doesn't mean you should.
Some of the most amazing foods are ones that western culture has deemed to be weird or gross. As a society, we've really limited ourselves. There's a reason sweetbreads are a luxury food.
@@richbulena8847 I am not as adventurous when it comes to food, and I often have texture issues when it comes to meat. The fact that this organ meat isn't even on top of my list. But I'm glad that there are people out there who like it! You do you :-)
The mushroom bit editing made me laugh - the slow zoom as I waited in real anticipation if you were going to go into your mushroom washing explanation again. Perfect comedic timing I'm a huge fan of sweetbread, and always order it if it's on the menu (I live in Belgium, and it's relatively common on the menus of my favourite French restaurants here). But I've never attempted making it myself, as it seemed quite intimidating. I was convinced I would ruin the delicate lobes while peeling them. Really impressed that you tackled this recipe with courage and an open mind, and I'm glad you enjoyed them (mostly). If you ever come across it in a restaurant and want to have another go, I hope they'll be served the way I'm most familiar with them: slightly crisped up in butter. The textural variation of crispy caramelised outside and creamy inside is what makes sweetbread so magical, in my opinion. Really lovely with a beef stock reduction, and some sautéed caramelised vegetables, like carrots or witloof. And maybe a little square of gratin dauphinois to make it fully decadent :)
Washing Mushrooms. If you don't want to wash your mushrooms and don't think they should be washed, then DON'T wash them! But it's ok to do that - I do it all the time now. But if you don't want to, then rub them down with a paper towel or a vegetable brush. That's it! Simple.
I always eat while I’m cooking, too. A few times on thanksgiving, I’ve actually skipped dinner because I’ve been tasting and munching on everything all day. If I’m making it, I get the freshest, choicest bite. I think of it as a cook’s compensation.
Sweetbreads are so freaking good edit: my mother used to make these and she meticulously cleaned them by removing a lot of the membrane. You probably want to leave some of the fat for flavor and texture reasons, but you can get away with quite a bit off if that seems more appealing.
My grandma got me hooked on brains. We'd usually eat pork brains and eggs but during squirrel season we got squirrel brains and eggs. Do you know how hard it is to find enough squirrel brains to feed three people? There's no wonder why they run back and forth in the road until you run over them. Their heads are pretty empty
For all the haters, there was a single article about CJD in squirrels years ago and nothing ever came of it. No evidence of it has been found in squirrels.
Haven't tried sweetbreads, but I have brains from time to time. Yeah, they're a bit fiddly to prepare, but they've got a lovely texture and delicate rich flavour. Usually have them simply on toast.
I think it is funny that he poured the sweetbreads from his Le Creuset Braiser to a ceramic casserole dish when she literally instructed him to braise the sweetbreads. I laughed pretty hard. I kind of want that casserole dish now, tho. LOL. I am a big fan of his channel now.
We have a german shepherd dog that has EPI. ( Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency)Sweetbread is the culinary name for the pancreas or thymus of an animal, usually from lamb or calf. We feed our dog raw pancreas and of course, on her really bad days she gets enzyme powder.
At the time of watching this episode his channel is up to 310,000!!! I joined around 270,000. Great work and so happy to see great content gaining new viewers
Three cheers to you, Jamie, for having the cojones to try sweetbreads. My childhood was spent next door to my Granny's farm, and various kinds of offal were not unusual. The only one I kept eating into adulthood was sweetbreads, and they're sadly impossible to find these days. When I worked in a fancy French restaurant, 45 years ago, the owner said he would feel his life had been successful if he could teach waiters to define "sweetbreads" without pointing to their throats. They're really good with a demiglace flavored with madeira or sherry.
Great episode. There are a few things off my menu, sweetbreads and tripe being two of them. That said, I applaud your conviction. P.S. The bowl me bit never fails to make me smile. Thanks for the clip. 🍁
Just an Fyi that ceramic dish won't crack from heat, ceramics are GREAT for taking a lot of heat more so than metal. So don't be afraid to put it on the stove. And sweetbreads are good, just people have become so detached from their food sources they get all weirded out from eating anything that isn't basic meats cuts. As my uncles use to say "You eat everything but the oink"
@@manonvernon8646 If it was glass then yes it wouldn't be a good idea and that could shatter, but ceramic won't. There is a reason why we use ceramics for heat insulation.
That's what I love about cooking so much: it never gets boring and you learn so much about food culture and history by challenging yourself with a new dish, even those you would rather avoid.
In 1986 I had lunch with a friend who lived in France at a restaurant with a Michelin star in the French countryside. I had sweetbreads for the first time, and they were wonderful. They also gave us an amuse bouche of a little puff on a stick. The puff contained calves brains, just a tiny piece. So that was the first (and only time) I've had brains. Mad cow disease has taken brains off of my list.
I'm Portuguese and we eat brains that are deep fried and they're delicious and creamy! I had sweetbreads in Paris a few years back and they were also excellence!
You can watch how to make sweetbreads in the way Juilia Child recommends on the Jacques Pepin episode of her show on TH-cam on the PBS channel. It's called Braised Sweetbread with Jacques Pépin on the Julia Child show "Cooking with Master Chefs" Season 1. She introduces, endorses, and comments on it, but Pepin gives the instructions.
Jamie my man, you are braver than me. Sweetbreads/brains are 2 things that I cannot force myself to eat. I do so enjoy watching you cooking, the humour is usually off the charts.
I haven't watched all your videos (yet) but I recently heard a tip about chopping onions - chop them on top of a damp paper towel. I haven't tried this yet but it is supposed to take away the tears. Keep up the great videos, I really enjoy them!
Again, I so admire your intrepid spirit. I wouldn't try this recipe is in a hundred years. I agree with the young lady in the other room. Hard nope from me - but also tons of respect. Well done!
I thought sweetbreads could be pancreas too? And other animals as well...though I don't remember which ones. My boyfriend loves sweetbreads at a french restaurant we go to and they have different types as an appetizer. Maybe Jaime would like one of those better...or not XD
The bouquet garni is added, just like you would add the herbs. Hot butter will release some aroma, but you're probably right and it's just the classic approach nobody questions. Won't be a whole world of difference in the end
I ate brains once that I know of. They were breaded and fried in butter and I was not told what they were until after dinner. Lisa, a friend who cooked them, was hoping to gross me out but that didn’t happen. I don’t believe I would ever order this unless I became a zombie.
Giving someone a 'gross' food while saying it's something else, then finally being honest sounds like a good way to get a nonviolent person to punch you.
I haven't tried sweetbreads braised. Gotta say if it weren't for your positive review I probably wouldn't. I do like both sweetbreads and brains lightly breaded with seasoned flour and panko and then fried in butter until golden. They're crispy outside and creamy inside. Prep is basically the same but instead of braising them you dredge and sauté them. BTW, the aspic was far, far more disturbing.
I am just baffled by this (North) American idea that some animal parts are a wonderful treat, whereas others are an abomination only barbarians would eat. In Europe, we don't even differentiate between "meat" and "other stuff": If it came from an animal, it is meat. Tongue, brain, liver, kidneys are just different types of meat. Plus, they are extremely yummy.
Thanks for doing this recipe, Jamie! If a person eats a steak/lean cut, what's the point of making a fuss about eating a marrow/brains/organ meat? I totally understand that not every part of it you would like, but it's worth trying, some of it can be delicious. If everyone eats steaks only, it's kinda wasteful and hypocritical
I have to say that it took a bit of courage to finally cook the sweetbreads, so bravo. After watching this and getting your taste rating, I am confident that I can skip them in the grocery store. Using every part of the animal is more sustainable, but not everyone can eat unusual cuts. Love your channel, always great content. Be well.
Invest in small, organza draw string bags, like the kind used for party favors. Put your herbs in there. They don't absorb much and they release flaver better. I've even used them for loose tea bags. You can wash or trash. They are cheap and great.
Cracking vid Jamie you could still simmer the stock to a simmer by adding it to a lidded pot then transfer back to the casserole dish now since you cooked sweet breads why not ye try tripe keep up yer guid work thanks.
My Mom adores sweetbreads but is very particular as to how they're prepared - yours looked lovely - I've had a couple bites when she's been pleased with the dish and I was with her. I would never bother with them on my own though.
No I would not even taste it. I don't feel the need to eat offal. I mean look how freakin' gross that looks! There are too many other foods that I can and will eat. The only reason people at this crap is because there was a time when people ate whatever there was to eat to survive and today they call it a delicacy and charge a fortune for it. NO NO NO. I'm not a picky eater for the most part, but I don't ear frogs, snails, snotty raw oysters (love them cooked), NO.
In Unruguay and Argentina we include sweetbreads (mollejas) in our regurlar BBQ and is one of the most requested pieces of meat over the wood fire coals. There are 2 types: thymus (fattier and more creamy) or parotids (firmer). Both are just rinsed in cold water. Parotids are sometimes bolied for 10 minutes with fresh garlic, kosher salt and some herbs like bay leaves before bbq. Thymus is marinated in lemon juice with salt, pepper and chopped garlic for 1/2 an hour before grilling. Fire the woods to get coals to preheat to medium-high grill. Cook without moving or turning more than a couple of times. It is important to avoid big changes in temperature during the grilling. Parotids, are often cutted in 1/4 inch strips and placed back in the grill to brown each surface. Most people add lemon juice before eating the sweetbread pieces. I recomend thymus, the extermal texture is very silightly crunchy and the inside it melts as yau bite You should try, it is AMAZING!!
Yeah, I don't want that either. It's probably like mountain oysters (calf fries.) I have no problem cleaning or cooking them, but I don't like them. For me it's a texture thing. I don't like the consistency in my mouth. You can just throw the small ones on the branding fire until the pop and eat them. The larger ones we slice in half dollar rounds and chicken fry. 😊
My first taste of Sweetbreads was at the Milton Inn north of Baltimore. Supposedly George Washington had dined there way back when. Delicious. 50 years later, I can still recall that taste. I order them whenever I see them on a menu. In 50 years, I have had them 3 times. Brains, one taste was enough to last a lifetime.
For those wondering: one potential reason this is called sweetbreads is because the thymus is sweeter than regular meat, and bread may actually come from 'brede' meaning roasted meat.
I was wondering that exactly! Thanks :)
What I'd found was that the "bread" part comes from “bræd,” which meant "animal flesh" in old English. But honestly both options sound plausible.
@@rinforzando4497 spellings weren't standardised and meanings were often vague back in the day, brede and bræd could easily be the same word with the same rough meaning.
Thank you!!
I was so confused because I work at a bakery and we have a bread loaf that has fruit swirls and icing in top and we call it sweet bread lol, and I was wondering what meat had to do with sweet bread lmao
Thanks! Was just about to Google!
I LOVE sweet breads. Cinnamon raisin is one of my favorites.....OH....😳
Priceless!
🤣
Yeah, I remember when I first learned what sweet breads were when I was a kid...it was very sad and disappointing
🤣🤣🤣
Delicious 😋😋😋😋
My Grandmother, who was born in 1908, loved sweetbreads and brains. When I was a kid in the 60s they had little cans of brains at the grocery store. She would scramble them with eggs for breakfast and always tried to get me to try them but I just couldn't. She grew up on a farm in East Texas, the daughter of a share cropper, so absolutely nothing went to waste. Especially when you have 12 kids.
Brains as a food were just more popular in the past. My parents who are WW2 generation tell me that brain sandwiches were commonly served at restaurants and cafeterias in the 1930s & 40s (and I'm guessing earlier as well). So I don't think it was just a rural farm tradition.
I literally have an older cookbook with a recipe for scrambled eggs and brain! It’s something I’ve always wanted to try but I totally get the off putting nature of them
Still sell them in Asian markets and prorably gourmet or ethnic butchers
Not to popular since MAD COW.
Never popular for me no way now how even if Julia made them b served them
I'd say no Allergic !
Brain is super tender and taste creamy & super rich. Brain is my indulgent food.
Now you have to worry about mad cow.
The bouquet in during the fry is meant to soak up butter and infuse it with the flavour of the herbs. The heat wakes the flavour and lightly alters the herbs to soften the more harsh components of the aromatic flavours, and gives it all a decent chance to infuse. That way the flavour is in the oil as well as the liquid components of the dish.
Would you do this without the cloth? I've seen many tied together no cloth.
@@ottomattix86 bits of it may break and get lost in the final product, so it depends on if you wanna eat them too.
@@chaook true. Just ate Bay leaf in a bean stew lol
BTW I cut off and froze the stems of cilantro. Cut that into stew and wow! (random I know)
@@ottomattix86 when you are talking to someone with extensive herb-eating background (born Southern Viet, currently in France, bit of Chinese heritage) then it's not so random. It does have a very fresh fragrance to it, no? Mom usually just use the soft bits of cilantro leaves on chicken soup, so I tend to use the roots of it and another herb with the same flavour (fish wort, or Houttuynia cordata) on stuff that's rather spicy or slow-braised like a braised pork or sth like that. And it is indeed awesome.
The word is "flavor," bro.
My first try of sweetbreads was at a French restaurant many years ago. My dad ordered them. They were dredged in flour and lightly pan-fried until a little golden on the outside. I got a taste and my brain exploded. Tender, creamy, and very mild flavor. I had entree envy all night, they were that good. I order sweetbreads whenever I can, which is rarely, since they are uncommon on menus at best. I have always found that organ meats can be really good if cooked with care, or horrible if cooked carelessly. I draw the line at brains due to mad cow disease and other prion illnesses. (Studied biology...know too much to ignore)
I've known about prions and how scary they are for quite a long time, but only recently found out that those misfolded proteins are only destroyed with heat of like... 1,000 C! That is so bonkers to me. That anything biological thing can remain intact above the melting point of silver!
Browning really transforms them.
My first try was also several years ago at Bayona in New Orleans. I live fairly near and have never had any other entree there, though I've been multiple times, because the fried sweatbreads are so phenomenaly good.
Same with prion.. esp with cwd in deer
Prions are not known in pigs, but it seems we should be careful.
I used to help my mum prepare sweetbreads. You have to remove all the membrane thus separating the lobes. We used to crumb and fry them, tasted like the most tender baby veal. Sweetbreads are the only ‘variety meat’ aka offal that I can stand. They are highly prized by chefs.
I think that's the way to do it, honestly. Having them a bit crispy on the outside is really nice.
THIS. His leaving all of the lobes connected was killing me.
Yes, delicious!
I thought he was doing it wrong when it was like a solid piece lol
My family use to eat cow brains and sweet bread. Not a fan personally. Metallic and stringy in my opinion. As a kid there was no doubt I was eating brains and it disturbed me.
CORNINGWARE cookware can be taken straight from the fridge or freezer to the burner, oven, or microwave. The stoneware interior is entirely non-porous and non-leaching, so there are no issues with cracking or shattering glass lids. The glass lids are oven safe to 500 degrees and can be used in microwaves.
That's what I thought.
Yes, but the big cast iron pan he was cooking in is, literally, a braiser. Like, that is actually the name of the cookware and it goes from stove to oven to table as well as fits the purpose of the cooking style all in one. He didn’t need the casserole dish at all.
@@karikelly2797 Unless he doesn't have an (oven safe) lid for the cast iron pan?
Thanks for the remarks. I really thought the spot heat of the flames would cause it to burst. Even though you say it's safe, I don't think I will try it.
@@vincentlevarrick6557 It does have a lid and he has the upgrade with a metal knob so that it can go in the oven. He’s has bought that same pan at least 3 times (2 grey and 1 red) so far, so I KNOW he knows what it is called. He so dang funny.
I had my first taste of sweetbreads just about 10 years ago now - entirely without knowing what I was eating! I was working at our local KMart before it went out of business, and while on my lunch break one of my coworkers came in and asked if I wanted any of his family's traditional sweetbread recipe. He had brought them in for the holidays, but was upset that no one else was willing to eat them. I felt bad that he was being passed over, so I had some, and they were a delight! They were cooked in some kind of sweet, savory, salty sauce - it reminded me of chicken teriyaki, but so much more tender and creamy in a way I didn't know how to really articulate. I didn't find out what kind of meat it was until years later!
So proud of you for not getting into the mushroom debacle. If it makes you feel any better my Russian ex-mother-in-law forced me to eat her Christmas whole fish in aspic, with a layer of pickled beets and a 1-inch layer of mayo over that. It was called "herring in a fur coat." Honestly, who would have thought the name would be more appetizing than the actual dish?
I am so sorry, that you were forced to eat it. My husband took a glance and gracefully declined. Good for me, since I love it so much. My mom would usually make a bowl just for me alone.
@@schattentanz9458 I can make light of it now, but she was a really mean woman lol. I mentioned the herring but I didn't mention the 100s of fabulous Russian dishes there are. Truthfully I could probably eat my way through every country.
I like Herring in Fur coat, but using herring in aspic and pickled beets for that sounds rough. Boiled beets and salted herring is the way to go.
Herring in a fur coat is a popular dish in a lot of eastern European countries and despite herring and beets never being my favorite I still could stomach the dish because it was okay unlike the monstrosity you described. Whole fish in aspic? Your ex mother-in-law is crazy
@@rihardsrozans6920 Validation is mine.☺💜
Who doesn't just absolutely love Jaimie 💞??? Entertaining, funny, educational, and needs his own TV show
Haven’t you heard? TV is going online.
One of my favorites for sure.
Totally agree 💕😍
TV would ruin it though, you need to approvals and the upper management needs to approve concepts/ideas for episodes :(
I love watching him!!!!
Will I ever make this? No. Was this the most enjoyable thing I’ve watched this weekend? Yes. Love this show. My 7 month old and I love watching Jamie and Julia ❤
Great episode! Takes me back to my childhood:
My old world Italian grandparents would slip us fried brains (dipped in egg and breadcrumbs) and try to convince us it was either a veal or chicken cutlet. While the taste was sort of close, the texture was not and for a long time I thought I hated the meats. Then when I was older and knew what they were giving me, it was a real a-ha moment on how often they had given us them. They weren’t horrible (they have a mild taste) and I’m all for not letting anything go to waste but I can’t get past the texture and I’m not planning on eating them ever ever again. 😂
Same! the texture puts me off every time. My mother loves brains (and lungs too!) and she'll often have those as a treat (funny, bc when you try to buy them here, butchers usually give it away for free bc it's considered dog food lol). I myself adore liver, but cannot stand the "white" stuff.
@@parvanaturalia When you think about how much of the animal isn't really used directly anymore... i like liver (a lot) more than steak when prepared properly, but good luck finding it on most menus. Or even just a butcher shop.
Can relate . My grandma made chicken foot and gizzard soup…
When I was a kid it never occurred to me what "scrambled-eggs-and-brains" actually were. They are delicious and with the eggs the texture is much more palatable. I never fix them myself though. It's something my grandmother used to make for she and I. Haven't had them since she passed away.
The texture really is the part, I can't get past, same with rumen(?). When I was in China my hostfamily always ordered those when we went out for hotpot and I'm usually all for using as much of the animal as possible - I really enjoy liver, hearts and pig feet, if prepared correctly - but those I could never get into, no matter how much I tried.
Where have I been? This is the best channel for recipes, bringing Julia to everyday people like me who have avoided her because of the threat of failure, making me fall off my chair laughing and now making me approach the kitchen with reckless abandon! Many thanks to you from a village in Ontario!!
I grew up in a Greek household , my parents would make sweetbreads and brains often! I found it repulsive and wouldn’t eat them, as a child I thought why can’t we just have Mac and cheese like the other kids! Lol 😂
And I thought my moms bad meatloaf was the worst... also I love meatloaf every one else has ever made... but nope ...
I grew up (am growing up) in a greek household and omg I’m glad they never made me eat this 😨😭😭I can’t even get near liver
@@TheRedFreddy haha you’re lucky we had weird food! Luckily my mom wouldn’t make me eat it if it was too weird! I won’t eat liver either❣️
Ohhh so you know what we eat for Easter after communion then lol
Gotta love that lamb organs soup! 😂👍
@@lunachilde2000 yes kokeretsie! Eww! I just can’t get on board with it! 🤣😂🤣
How sweetly you ask if she wants some sweetbreads and the immediate "No" really got me lol
I've heard of sweetbreads but this is the first time I've seen them. Shocked at how big they are! I always imagined them to be a little bigger than a kidney!
Loved every second of this! I'd be shocked if your beautiful new 100% ceramic dish can't withstand direct heat from stove top applications. I found that the herb bouquet works better with 'wider holed' cheesecloth, but it's meant to soak up butter so it can extract oils from the herbs and redistribute them once liquid is added to the pan.
I went to the comments to look for an explanation about the herb bouquet, thank you! ☺️
Why cloth at all?
@@ottomattix86 instead of fishing out all the herbs later, one can remove one 'bunch'. Depending on the recipe, some herbs become bitter and it's easier to remove them all versus trying to find the one/few that shouldn't stay in the pot.
I’ve never tried Sweetbreads or Brain. When I saw this video today I thought “you brave young man, you.” But I will take your word that it was good. So enjoy your channel. Looking forward to seeing more. ❤
You murdering the cooking of this dish was the most wholesome thing I’ve seen today and made me smile
Offals can be excellent but its best to be introduced to them at the hand of someone who really knows how to cook them, that way you have a metric for their potential. Taking it on yourself, bravo good sir, its a gnarly task. All these foods can be made to be delicious though
tbh, id eat that and most certainly devour it wholeheartedly!
Actually...in Argentina sweetbreads are a delicacy, and as such, VERY expensive...we just grill it til it's crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, then a dash of lemon juice and voilá, absolutely delicious
sheeesh, i have to try that! we bread em and fry em in butterfat, potatos fried with parsley and an assortement of mirepoix veggies!
¿Como lo llaman en Argentina?
@@artedejali Mollejas
As a Sicilian, I grew up eating tripe, pigs feet and snails, but I never tried sweetbreads. This is really interesting!
You can have mine!
@@charlibrown7745 😄
Just bread and fry, thymus is good.
Sweetbread and snails are yum. You can keep the tripe. Way too chewy and they have a certain funk.
What kind of snails
I remember my grandparents talking about sweetbreads. I liked the episode, could only listen to the audio, I couldn't bring myself to look, (preconceived visual in my head since childhood, lol). Enjoyed listening though! Keep them coming Jamie!
Just a tiny comment… French recipies are based on the ingredient that’s available and freshest at the time. So basically, this recipe is a standard mirepoix with no garlic because the gland is so delicate, but it’s really not about the flavor of the sweetbreads-they were just available on that particular date, in France, at the market... Fun video. :)
Sweetbreads may refer to thymus or the pancreas interchangeably. The best I ever had was in Cyprus and were marinated lamb sweetbreads souvlaki, grilled quite brown. Incredible.
My family would grill these every cook out, but I knew them as mollejas. They would get a bit crispy on the edges but still tender on the inside, and I loved them. It wasn’t until I was a teen that I found out what they were. 😂 I still think they’re delicious, but have never tried them any other way.
On the grill and with lemon 👌
Sweetbreads used to be more common fifty years ago and were considered fine dining. I remember when I wiated tables at a residence dining hall for seniors (a fancy place) they would serve them on toast in some kind of white sauce. They must have separated all the lobes, because they looked like lumps on toast. I never tried them (they didn't feed us there) and haven't to this day. I don't mind liver and I've eaten haggis but I wouldn't go out of my way for these.
Self-caught or domesticated haggis? ;)
@@Llortnerof a haggis bought at the Edinburgh airport, frozen. Taken to (legal) Germany for a dinner with Canadian friends and a Scottish friend got one as well, and pronounced it "A guid haggis" It was delicious. Kind of a fluffy, liver-flavored pudding, best I can describe it.
My grandma and my mother used to make fried sweetbreads. They pulled most of that stuff off and they did break into small pieces. They dipped them in flour then in egg then back into flour. They fried the small pieces until they were crispy. They were delicious, I would try to make them if I could find them.
they are very very good fried
That's the only way I've ever had them, they're really nice.
That’s a great idea. What kind of sauce did they use with it?
I love that sweetbreads are slowly making a comeback, at least here in Denmark. A few years ago, upscale restaurants were obsessed with them (and other types of organs and intestines) and now they're more readily available than they were before. I think it's fun to cook and it can be absolutely delicious, when done right!
Ok not French will have to look into this but if you ever go to a Mexican place and they offer that ina taco buy it, it’s amazing. Also it makes a killer stock, all that connective tissue’s yields the most unctuous liquid.
Man watching Jamie cut those sweetbreads lengthwise was ... Show me you never had sweetbread without telling me ^^ That said, delightful episode.
One of the best dishes I've ever had was sweetbreads at a restaurant. Fried in butter, wonderful.
There is no way I will ever eat this. No way. You are a brave man, sir.
Why not? They're great if prepared well. I always order it if I find it on the menu.
@@richbulena8847 prion diseases. Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and its variants, including Mad Cow disease can be transmitted by eating infected brains. Prions can't be killed by heat. There's a reason humans are generally repulsed by the idea of eating brains. Just because you can eat something doesn't mean you should.
Same here. I could never. I just think of mad cow disease
Some of the most amazing foods are ones that western culture has deemed to be weird or gross. As a society, we've really limited ourselves. There's a reason sweetbreads are a luxury food.
@@richbulena8847 I am not as adventurous when it comes to food, and I often have texture issues when it comes to meat. The fact that this organ meat isn't even on top of my list. But I'm glad that there are people out there who like it! You do you :-)
I would have used the enamel braising pan you started with.
Enjoy your show and always look forward to your next episode
The mushroom bit editing made me laugh - the slow zoom as I waited in real anticipation if you were going to go into your mushroom washing explanation again. Perfect comedic timing
I'm a huge fan of sweetbread, and always order it if it's on the menu (I live in Belgium, and it's relatively common on the menus of my favourite French restaurants here).
But I've never attempted making it myself, as it seemed quite intimidating. I was convinced I would ruin the delicate lobes while peeling them. Really impressed that you tackled this recipe with courage and an open mind, and I'm glad you enjoyed them (mostly).
If you ever come across it in a restaurant and want to have another go, I hope they'll be served the way I'm most familiar with them: slightly crisped up in butter. The textural variation of crispy caramelised outside and creamy inside is what makes sweetbread so magical, in my opinion. Really lovely with a beef stock reduction, and some sautéed caramelised vegetables, like carrots or witloof. And maybe a little square of gratin dauphinois to make it fully decadent :)
LOL This could've been a Halloween episode, Brains!
Washing Mushrooms. If you don't want to wash your mushrooms and don't think they should be washed, then DON'T wash them! But it's ok to do that - I do it all the time now. But if you don't want to, then rub them down with a paper towel or a vegetable brush. That's it! Simple.
I always eat while I’m cooking, too. A few times on thanksgiving, I’ve actually skipped dinner because I’ve been tasting and munching on everything all day. If I’m making it, I get the freshest, choicest bite. I think of it as a cook’s compensation.
New Jamie vid! Can't wait to show the kids this after school today 🇦🇺 my 9 year old is learning heaps from you. Keep the content coming! 👏👏👏
Sweetbreads are so freaking good edit: my mother used to make these and she meticulously cleaned them by removing a lot of the membrane. You probably want to leave some of the fat for flavor and texture reasons, but you can get away with quite a bit off if that seems more appealing.
My grandma got me hooked on brains. We'd usually eat pork brains and eggs but during squirrel season we got squirrel brains and eggs. Do you know how hard it is to find enough squirrel brains to feed three people? There's no wonder why they run back and forth in the road until you run over them. Their heads are pretty empty
This is my favourite comment
You want prion disease? Cause thats how you get prion disease.
Ugh. Think im going to be sick
Very dangerous
For all the haters, there was a single article about CJD in squirrels years ago and nothing ever came of it. No evidence of it has been found in squirrels.
Oh god i would never have expected you to do Riz de Veau, that's commitment
Haven't tried sweetbreads, but I have brains from time to time. Yeah, they're a bit fiddly to prepare, but they've got a lovely texture and delicate rich flavour. Usually have them simply on toast.
I think it is funny that he poured the sweetbreads from his Le Creuset Braiser to a ceramic casserole dish when she literally instructed him to braise the sweetbreads. I laughed pretty hard. I kind of want that casserole dish now, tho. LOL. I am a big fan of his channel now.
We have a german shepherd dog that has EPI. ( Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency)Sweetbread is the culinary name for the pancreas or thymus of an animal, usually from lamb or calf. We feed our dog raw pancreas and of course, on her really bad days she gets enzyme powder.
oh! Anti-chef's new Julia video! Yes! ...Umm sweetbreads? Nope. No. No, no! I must draw the line at sweetbreads.
At the time of watching this episode his channel is up to 310,000!!! I joined around 270,000. Great work and so happy to see great content gaining new viewers
Jaime you are very entertaining. I hope you continue to grow your channel. Im proud to be a patreon
Lovely as always
The look like they would have a nasty smell. I couldn't eat it but so glad you did! Another great video. My favorite TH-cam channel!
Three cheers to you, Jamie, for having the cojones to try sweetbreads. My childhood was spent next door to my Granny's farm, and various kinds of offal were not unusual. The only one I kept eating into adulthood was sweetbreads, and they're sadly impossible to find these days. When I worked in a fancy French restaurant, 45 years ago, the owner said he would feel his life had been successful if he could teach waiters to define "sweetbreads" without pointing to their throats. They're really good with a demiglace flavored with madeira or sherry.
Great episode. There are a few things off my menu, sweetbreads and tripe being two of them. That said, I applaud your conviction. P.S. The bowl me bit never fails to make me smile. Thanks for the clip. 🍁
Tripe in pho is good it's not slimy
That actually looked really delicious. It is something I would be willing to try at least once.
You're probably the most relatable TH-camr I've watched in a long time
Just an Fyi that ceramic dish won't crack from heat, ceramics are GREAT for taking a lot of heat more so than metal. So don't be afraid to put it on the stove.
And sweetbreads are good, just people have become so detached from their food sources they get all weirded out from eating anything that isn't basic meats cuts. As my uncles use to say "You eat everything but the oink"
Not a great idea, an open flame on a stove and a hot oven are two different things.
@@manonvernon8646 If it was glass then yes it wouldn't be a good idea and that could shatter, but ceramic won't. There is a reason why we use ceramics for heat insulation.
That's what I love about cooking so much: it never gets boring and you learn so much about food culture and history by challenging yourself with a new dish, even those you would rather avoid.
You rock! I would not have been able to try.
In 1986 I had lunch with a friend who lived in France at a restaurant with a Michelin star in the French countryside. I had sweetbreads for the first time, and they were wonderful. They also gave us an amuse bouche of a little puff on a stick. The puff contained calves brains, just a tiny piece. So that was the first (and only time) I've had brains. Mad cow disease has taken brains off of my list.
I really appreciate your content❤️❤️
Your facial expressions are always priceless. Another fun episode, 😍
I'm Portuguese and we eat brains that are deep fried and they're delicious and creamy! I had sweetbreads in Paris a few years back and they were also excellence!
Properly prepared, sweetbreads are divine! Thanks!
I could not. I simply could not. You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!
You can watch how to make sweetbreads in the way Juilia Child recommends on the Jacques Pepin episode of her show on TH-cam on the PBS channel. It's called Braised Sweetbread with Jacques Pépin on the Julia Child show "Cooking with Master Chefs" Season 1. She introduces, endorses, and comments on it, but Pepin gives the instructions.
Jamie my man, you are braver than me. Sweetbreads/brains are 2 things that I cannot force myself to eat. I do so enjoy watching you cooking, the humour is usually off the charts.
Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year., see you in 2023.
OH JEEZ JAMIE don't torture yourself too much, we need you
Haven't watched the entire video yet but hopefully this'll be a recipe you'll end up pleasantly surprised by
I haven't watched all your videos (yet) but I recently heard a tip about chopping onions - chop them on top of a damp paper towel. I haven't tried this yet but it is supposed to take away the tears.
Keep up the great videos, I really enjoy them!
Jamie, you are awesomely talented and hilarious 🤣
I’ve only ever had sweet breads as an hors d’oeuvre. And they were outstanding. This is great Jamie thanks.
I love sweetbreads. But I would never cook them myself. Too much work. And they are very difficult to find
You are so fun to watch! Thank you!
Never show that Aspic episode again. It is a war crime
Again, I so admire your intrepid spirit. I wouldn't try this recipe is in a hundred years. I agree with the young lady in the other room. Hard nope from me - but also tons of respect. Well done!
I thought sweetbreads could be pancreas too? And other animals as well...though I don't remember which ones. My boyfriend loves sweetbreads at a french restaurant we go to and they have different types as an appetizer. Maybe Jaime would like one of those better...or not XD
Sweetbreads can be both Thymus or Pancreas - I believe Pancreas is more common.
Proud of you Jamie!
The bouquet garni is added, just like you would add the herbs. Hot butter will release some aroma, but you're probably right and it's just the classic approach nobody questions. Won't be a whole world of difference in the end
Doesn't always need cheesecloth though, right?
I appreciate your openmindedness!
I ate brains once that I know of. They were breaded and fried in butter and I was not told what they were until after dinner. Lisa, a friend who cooked them, was hoping to gross me out but that didn’t happen. I don’t believe I would ever order this unless I became a zombie.
Giving someone a 'gross' food while saying it's something else, then finally being honest sounds like a good way to get a nonviolent person to punch you.
@@dahken417 I had some Phillippino friend order me soup No 5 before I knew what it was. They were eating it, so why not.
I haven't tried sweetbreads braised. Gotta say if it weren't for your positive review I probably wouldn't. I do like both sweetbreads and brains lightly breaded with seasoned flour and panko and then fried in butter until golden. They're crispy outside and creamy inside. Prep is basically the same but instead of braising them you dredge and sauté them.
BTW, the aspic was far, far more disturbing.
I am just baffled by this (North) American idea that some animal parts are a wonderful treat, whereas others are an abomination only barbarians would eat. In Europe, we don't even differentiate between "meat" and "other stuff": If it came from an animal, it is meat. Tongue, brain, liver, kidneys are just different types of meat. Plus, they are extremely yummy.
We eat all of that in Canada, also cow heart❤❤❤
Thanks for doing this recipe, Jamie!
If a person eats a steak/lean cut, what's the point of making a fuss about eating a marrow/brains/organ meat? I totally understand that not every part of it you would like, but it's worth trying, some of it can be delicious. If everyone eats steaks only, it's kinda wasteful and hypocritical
I have to say that it took a bit of courage to finally cook the sweetbreads, so bravo. After watching this and getting your taste rating, I am confident that I can skip them in the grocery store. Using every part of the animal is more sustainable, but not everyone can eat unusual cuts. Love your channel, always great content. Be well.
Invest in small, organza draw string bags, like the kind used for party favors. Put your herbs in there. They don't absorb much and they release flaver better. I've even used them for loose tea bags. You can wash or trash. They are cheap and great.
The answer to your question in the title is no. No no no never. 😂
I can’t even watch this video, but I give you infinite credit for your effort .
Love your channel!
I always think of Hannibal Lector’s culinary prowess when I think of sweetbreads. 🧠
Cracking vid Jamie you could still simmer the stock to a simmer by adding it to a lidded pot then transfer back to the casserole dish now since you cooked sweet breads why not ye try tripe keep up yer guid work thanks.
Hell yes I knew it would be this recipe. Sweet breads are delicious, brains ehhh
Yup. Brains are for zombies.
@Itzel I've had some bomb ass brain tacos but it's gotta be from a taco truck at 2am after work.
@@TouchDirt Ah. Like White Castle. 😆 I’m past the age where I’m scouting food at 2 am, but I’ll be open should I come across such tacos in future.
@Itzel I've worked in restaurants/bartendend most my life so even I'm my 30s I'm on the hunt for some good ass street food.
My Mom adores sweetbreads but is very particular as to how they're prepared - yours looked lovely - I've had a couple bites when she's been pleased with the dish and I was with her. I would never bother with them on my own though.
No I would not even taste it. I don't feel the need to eat offal. I mean look how freakin' gross that looks! There are too many other foods that I can and will eat. The only reason people at this crap is because there was a time when people ate whatever there was to eat to survive and today they call it a delicacy and charge a fortune for it. NO NO NO. I'm not a picky eater for the most part, but I don't ear frogs, snails, snotty raw oysters (love them cooked), NO.
Tripe if correctly prepared is great
@@Beachdudeca So, they say, are Rocky Mountain Oysters and I'm not eating those either. LOL!
In Unruguay and Argentina we include sweetbreads (mollejas) in our regurlar BBQ and is one of the most requested pieces of meat over the wood fire coals. There are 2 types: thymus (fattier and more creamy) or parotids (firmer). Both are just rinsed in cold water. Parotids are sometimes bolied for 10 minutes with fresh garlic, kosher salt and some herbs like bay leaves before bbq. Thymus is marinated in lemon juice with salt, pepper and chopped garlic for 1/2 an hour before grilling. Fire the woods to get coals to preheat to medium-high grill. Cook without moving or turning more than a couple of times. It is important to avoid big changes in temperature during the grilling. Parotids, are often cutted in 1/4 inch strips and placed back in the grill to brown each surface.
Most people add lemon juice before eating the sweetbread pieces.
I recomend thymus, the extermal texture is very silightly crunchy and the inside it melts as yau bite
You should try, it is AMAZING!!
This is how you get prion disease, Julia.
Prion is from brains not sweetbreads
You can get a prion disease from any cut of meat from an infected cow, but more likely to be the brain and nerve tissue.
Yes he definitely needs his own show he's a natural born 🌟 💯👏🥳🤩
Yeah, I don't want that either. It's probably like mountain oysters (calf fries.) I have no problem cleaning or cooking them, but I don't like them. For me it's a texture thing. I don't like the consistency in my mouth.
You can just throw the small ones on the branding fire until the pop and eat them. The larger ones we slice in half dollar rounds and chicken fry. 😊
Love your vids Jamie! Thank you!
Still not convinced about eating sweetbreads, but I’d choose them above the chicken livers in aspic every time. Another great episode, thank you.
Right? I'd choose them over anything in aspic, that stuff is just nasty.
My first taste of Sweetbreads was at the Milton Inn north of Baltimore. Supposedly George Washington had dined there way back when. Delicious. 50 years later, I can still recall that taste. I order them whenever I see them on a menu. In 50 years, I have had them 3 times. Brains, one taste was enough to last a lifetime.
i love “the girl in the other room”. did you call her crispy? favorite channel on youtube rn 😂🫶
Sweetbread is wonderful, very delicate. A tomatoe based sauce is perfect. Going to try the mushroom sauce from Julia, sounds divine.