Andrea Pasqualucci shares a recipe that makes sweetbreads as “modern” as they are tasty and elegant: his plum ketchup balances the iron-rich flavor of the offal, creating a “alla diavola” version that gives the ingredient a red hue.

Sweetbreads "alla diavola"

Ingredients for 4 people

For the sweetbreads

200 g sweetbreads

For the court bouillon

300 ml water
4.5 g coarse salt
2.5 g shallots
half a white leek
one carrot
one stalk of white celery
1.5 g lemongrass
one lemon (zest)
one bay leaf
2 black peppercorns
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 g sliced ginger

For the plum ketchup

200 g ripe red plums
10 g button mushrooms
100 g red bell pepper
100 g white onions
1.5 g bay leaf
1.5 g thyme
1.5 g rosemary
1 g black peppercorns
8 g muscovado sugar
8 g apple cider vinegar
60 ml white wine
1 tablespoon dried sweet paprika
50 ml teriyaki sauce
fine salt to taste

For the bell pepper reduction

3 red bell peppers
2 g smoked paprika
1 g chili pepper
100 ml veal stock
10 ml glucose
5 ml soy sauce

For garnish

4 cloves of young garlic
Thai basil leaves

Method

Rinse the sweetbreads under running water for six hours. Place all the court bouillon ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, and add the sweetbreads.

When the mixture returns to a boil, remove the pot from the heat and let it rest for two hours. After this time, remove the sweetbreads from the court bouillon and peel off the outer membrane before cutting them into bite-sized pieces.

For the plum ketchup, cut all the vegetables into mirepoix pieces about one centimeter in size and let them marinate overnight in vinegar, wine, and all the herbs and spices previously placed in a cheesecloth bag. The next day, transfer to a pot and cook until it reaches a caramel-like consistency. Add the teriyaki sauce, season with salt to taste, blend, and strain.

Next, prepare the bell pepper reduction. Wash and trim the bell peppers, process them in a juicer, and extract the juice. Transfer the juice to a pot with all the other ingredients and simmer until reduced. You should be left with about a quarter of the original volume. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and season with salt to taste. The flavor should be very bold, smoky, and spicy. Set aside.

Coat the sweetbreads in rice flour and fry them very quickly at a high temperature until lightly browned. After patting them dry thoroughly, place them in a small saucepan with the pepper reduction and, over low heat, glaze them until the reduction has the consistency of molasses.

Plate the sweetbreads with the young garlic previously grilled over charcoal, a dollop of plum ketchup, and garnish with Thai basil leaves.