Serves 4

These devilled kidneys are deliciously simple and packed with flavour. Apart from the kidneys, the recipe makes the most out of store-cupboard ingredients. At River Cottage, Hugh served these with crispy fried bread which we used to mop up the sauce. For a more substantial supper dish, serve with plain boiled rice and a crisp green salad.

8 lambs’ kidneys
Olive oil, for cooking
Small glass of sherry
1 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar
1 tsp redcurrant jelly
Few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp English mustard
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp double cream
Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1 Cut the kidneys in half horizontally and carefully remove the white veins in the centre of each half.
2 Heat a little oil in a small frying pan, add the kidneys and sizzle just to brown them, tossing occasionally. Add the sherry and let it bubble for a minute, then add the vinegar and jelly, stirring well to dissolve. Finally, add the Worcestershire Sauce, cayenne pepper, mustard and seasoning to taste.
3 Reduce the heat to a low simmer and stir in the double cream. Let bubble for another minute or two, shaking the pan occasionally, until the sauce is glossy and reduced. Taste for piquancy, adding a little more cayenne and black pepper if you wish.
4 Garnish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve immediately.

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