I can still remember my first bite of brains. I was 10, on a French exchange, and had arrived in St Malo to sit down for supper with a bunch of strangers who were to be my family for the next fortnight. Calves' brains were on the menu - and they weren't cooked all that well.

I was not a stranger to offal but some is more user-friendly than others. However, my naturally stubborn nature got me through the evening.

I sometimes wonder why this umbrella of ingredients doesn't have a more attractive name than offal. But I do know that more and more of my friends are now eating it. It is, after all, no more strange to eat the kidneys of an animal than the bottom; no more strange to eat the tongue than the shank.

Reactions to offal seem to be largely based on prejudice rather than taste. Most people are happy to eat a pot of chicken liver pâté, especially if it has been cooked with cognac and lashings of butter.

Devilled kidneys on toast is making a roaring comeback in British kitchens and, through my love of Lebanese and Mexican cooking, I have developed a passion for the subtle, gentle flavour of tongue. I've even managed to convert a few of my friends. However, mention brains and sweetbreads and they begin to pale.

Offal does not deserve such a bad rap. It is a staple in most parts of Europe, the Middle East, Africa, China and the Americas, partly because it is such good value and partly because it is so popular - cooked well, it is exceedingly good. The one cardinal sin is to overcook it.

Liver and kidneys need to be seared briefly, leaving a pink inside and a soft, yielding bite. Years of revolting school lunches consisting of dull grey livers and kidneys cooked to a consistency of rubber has left many people refusing to countenance the idea of trying them again. But you cannot compare kidneys that have been cooked well with those that have been well cooked!

Two years ago when I filmed Wild Gourmets, a programme for Channel 4 on foraging, a kind farmer with a herd of the finest saltmarsh lamb in Wales presented us with kidneys as a precious gift.

I rescued them from the cushions of fat that protected them, removed the outside film, cut them in half and took out the sinews (a kind butcher can do this for you). We then threaded them on rosemary sprigs and barbecued them over the fire with baby onions and Welsh bacon. They were a rare treat.

On a tour of Spain last year I had a better kidney dish. They were snipped into tiny pieces and cooked gently in olive oil with liver, garlic and sherry. Delicious.

Offal is also incredibly good for you. My mother used to tell us that it would make our hair shine and our skin glow, which is probably true when you look at how rich livers and kidneys are in iron and vitamin B12.

So, given how good, how healthy (and low in fat) they are, and given how little they cost - you can afford to buy kidneys from the finest breeds - get down to a butcher, mail-order company or supermarket and buy some for the fridge or freezer. You'll be giving someone a real treat.

Lightly spiced summer rice with sauteéd kidneys

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