Blanquette of Sweetbread and Lobster
By Chef Roland Passot,
La Folie Restaurant, San Francisco, CA

Ingredients:
4 Potato Cylinders
1 lb. Sweetbreads (poached, pressed, and picked)
2 Lobster Tails (halved)
4 Lobster Claws
1 lb. Wild Mushrooms
4 oz. Port
4 oz. Madeira
6 oz. Cream
4 oz. Leeks (cut into diamond shapes one half inch long)
8 Baby Carrots (blanched)
8 Baby Turnips (blanched and quartered)
12 Asparagus Spears
4 oz. Parsley Garlic Sauce
2 oz. Butter (unsalted)
2 tspn. Blended Oil
1/2 tspn. Sugar
2 tspn. Water
1 cup Lobster Butter

Procedure:
1. In a hot saute pan add blended oil and lightly brown the sweetbreads. When golden brown add the wild mushrooms and 1 tbls. butter.

2. Season with salt and pepper. When the mushrooms begin to so then remove the pan from the heat and add the port and madiera. Return to the heat and reduce the liquid by half. Add the cream and reduce again by one third. Add the leeks, turnips, and carrots and heat through.

3. Meanwhile warm the lobster claws and tails in the lobster butter. When the lobster is warm add it to the sweetbread blanquette and toss. In another saute pan heat the remaining butter, water, sugar, and asparagus until glazed.

4. Fill the potato cylinder with the sweetbread and lobster mixture. Garnish each plate with asparagus spears and some of the sweetbreads. Sauce with the parsley garlic sauce and serve.

Sweetbreads Ingredients:
1 lb. Sweetbreads (poached, pressed, and picked)
1 qt. Cold Water
3 tbls. Champagne Vinegar
1 Bay Leaf
1 tbls. Black Peppercorns
1/4 bunch Thyme

Procedure:
Combine the ingredients in a pot while making sure the water covers the sweetbreads. Bring to a simmer and remove immediately from heat and run under cold water. When cool refrigerate with a weight on top in order to expel excess liquid from the sweetbreads. Press for 1 at least 2 hours. Before using remove any membrane covering the sweetbreads while picking them apart into the desired size.

Potato Cylinders Ingredients:
4 large Kennebeck Potatoes (peeled)
2 1/4 inch dowel 8 inches long rolled in plastic wrap 3mm thick)
Japanese potato stringer (available at many Asian markets)
Large Pot ( big enough to lay the dowel in horizontally with enough oil to submerge the dowel is needed to fry the cylinders at 350 degrees.

Procedure:
1. The dowel must be wrapped tight in plastic wrap several mm thick. This covering must be perforated every half inch or so all the way around with the tip of a knife in order to release trapped air. If this step is not executed, the trapped air bubbles will expand when heated
and shatter the sides of the cylinder.

2. Make potato strings out of the potatoes using a potato stringer. Grab 4-8 strands side by side creating a potato ribbon. Wrap the dowel going around in a spiral fashion up and back down the dowel creating layers of potato. Fry at 350 degrees rotating until golden brown. Cool and slide gently slide off the dowel. These cylinders require a little practice so do not be discouraged.

Other Great Chef Recipes:
Blanquette of Sweetbread and Lobster

Duo of Lobster & Albacore, Citrus Lobster Salad
with shaved fresh Hearts of Palm and Micro Green, with an
Albacore Tartare on a Celery Root and Apple Salad

Roasted Chicken Breasts Stuffed with a Shrimp Mousse

Roasted Quail Salad Stuffed with Foie Gras

Roti of Quail and Squab

Shrimp Bisque

Other Related Links:
“Balance is the key to sucess!"