4 sm Veal or Baby Beef Kidneys
1 1/2 lb Rump or Round Steak (to be
-cut into 1″ pieces
1 c Claret or other Dry Red Wine
2 Onions, 1 sliced; 1 diced
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 c Parsley, chopped
1/2 c Celery, chopped (including
-tender leafy tops)
1 c Mushrooms, sliced
Suet or Bacon Drippings
Flour for dredging and
-thickening
1 pt Hot Water
Salt
1 ts Coarse Black Pepper
1 ts Marjoram
Pastry of puff-paste, pie
-crust, or biscuit dough (to
-cover casserole)
Separate the kidneys with a sharp knife, discarding all gristly
portions and fat. Sprinkle with salt. Cover with claret, add bay leaves,
sliced onion, pepper. Let it marinate 2 hours.
Pound the steak with flour, and cut into 1″ pieces. Brown suet or heat
bacon drippings in iron skillet. Then add diced onion and cook until clear;
remove onion from skillet.
Over medium heat, brown steak well. Next drain the kidneys, reserving
the marinade; dredge with flour, and brown, stirring carefully. Add 1 pt or
less or hot water, stir well, add chopped celery and parsley, and marjoram.
Mix all well, and transfer to the casserole from which you intend to
serve the pie. Strain into it the marinade. Cover with a tight lid, and
bake at 325oF for about 1 hour.
Remove from oven. Brown the mushrooms in bacon drippings, and if they
need thickening, thicken with flour mixed in cold water and stirred
carefully to avoid lumps. Add the mushrooms to the casserole mixture. Cover
with a crust of puff-paste, pie crust, or biscuit dough, and return to
400oF oven, and bake until brown, about 20 to 30 minutes. Serve at once.
Yields
8 Servings