The kidneys are merely soaked in cold water for a few hours, and put to cook with the combs a few minutes before the latter are ready.
Cocks’ combs and kidneys are mostly used as garnish; nevertheless, they also serve in the preparation of special dishes, for which I shall now give a few recipes.
[1662—CRÊTES ET ROGNONS DE COQ A LA GRECQUE]
About twenty-five minutes before serving, prepare a pint of pilaff rice, combined with one half-capsicum cut into dice, and a very little saffron.
Also prepare ten roundels of egg-plant, seasoned, dredged, and fried in oil just before dishing. The moment the rice is cooked, add thereto twenty-four very fresh cocks’ kidneys, frizzled in butter, and twelve fine [blanched] cocks’ combs, [poëled] after the manner of lambs’ sweetbreads.
Set the whole in a silver saucepan, arrange the egg-plant roundels in a circle on the rice, and serve instantly.
[1663—DESIRS DE MASCOTTE]
Put three oz. of butter in a vegetable-pan, and fry it nut-brown.
[526]
]Add to this butter twenty-four fine cocks’ kidneys (it is essential that these should be fresh); season them with salt, pepper, and a little red pepper, and cook them for from five to six minutes, which should prove sufficient.
Meanwhile, prepare twelve [croûtons] of bread-crumbs, one-third inch thick, stamped out with a round cutter two-thirds inch in diameter. Fry these [croûtons] in butter at the last minute.