A quick post-work nip out to the shops last night left me with a particularly peculiar choice to make. Whilst browsing through the whiskeys, beer and birthday cards I came upon a conundrum: what to have for tea?

It was there that some devilish thoughts appeared; kidneys would be on the menu.

Devilling foodstuffs was especially popular during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries and the practice may have gone out of fashion in recent years, but there is good reason why it is considered – in some circles at least – as a bona fide classic, with Devilled Kidneys being the crème de la crème.

Practically anything can be devilled, and the good news is that cooks don’t have to make a pact with Satan, Beelzebub or any nefarious religious figure in order to master the process: it’s a bits and pieces type concoction that can simply be whipped up in a number of minutes.

The dish is wonderfully versatile and be consumed at anytime of the day with anything. On toast for breakfast or with potatoes and vegetables as part of a substantial tea. It knows no bounds.

Trust me, it isn’t offal!

Devilled Kidneys

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 kidneys
• 1 ½ tsp plain flower
• 20g butter
• 1-2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 tbsp English mustard
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• ½ medium onion, diced
• Salt and pepper

Optional

• Tabasco sauce
• Parsley
• Toast, rice or potatoes – to serve with.

Method

• Rinse the kidneys under cold water and then pat them dry
• Cut in half, remove the white cores and dice.
• Mix the flour, salt and pepper together. Toss the kidneys into the seasoning.
• Melt the butter into a large non-stick frying pan
• Add the onions, fry until slightly golden brown.
• Add the kidneys and cook on a high head for 2-3 minutes
• Add the puree, mustard and sauce(s) before gently adding 200ml of boiling water – stir constantly
• Reduce heat and simmer.
• Leave for 15 minutes or so, or until the kidneys are tender and the sauce has thickened.
• Garnish with parsley (optional) and serve.

photo: Beck [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons