Scary foods

Warren Elwin turns to offal to make scary foods for Halloween... Hoffalween perhaps?

Pressed veal tongues

1. Wash 8 veal tongues and 3 pigs' trotters. Add to a stockpot with 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 1 leek, 1 chilli, 5 garlic cloves and a handful of parsley stalks — all roughly chopped. Add 1 Tbsp peppercorns and 3 bay leaves, fill pot with water and bring to the boil. Lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook 2-3 hours until tongues are knife tender. Turn off the heat and leave to cool. Remove tongues, strain stock and set aside for later use.
2. Peel the warm tongues (removing any unsightly bits and pieces), season with salt and pepper, then jigsaw them together into a large (or multiple small) container. Add a little of the stock, top with another container and press. (To press cooked tongues into a loaf shape, use 2 containers that fit snugly into each other, then rubber band them together or add a weight to hold them down.) Refrigerate until set.
3. Slice pieces of tongue and serve as canapes with pickles and relish, in fresh or toasted sandwiches, or cut into batons, then crumb and fry them as tongue chips like they do at Cazador restaurant in Auckland.

Make a change

For tongue terrine, cut the peeled tongues into 1 cm dice. Add to a bowl with 2 finely diced pickled jalapeños, 1 Tbsp minced capers, 2 Tbsp dijon mustard, the zest and juice of a lemon and a handful of fresh chopped tarragon and parsley. Season with flaky sea salt and black pepper, toss together well, and spread evenly into a medium sized container (terrine dish, or loaf pan). Add enough of the reserved stock to just cover, then refrigerate until set. Remove, slice into pieces, and serve accordingly.

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Potted rabbit livers

1. Wash 400g rabbit livers, removing any fat and sinew. Place in a container, cover with 3-5 Tbsp gin and leave in the fridge overnight to soak.
2. Drain and cut livers into even-sized pieces. Toss in a bowl with a small handful of finely chopped chives and tarragon (or thyme), the zest and juice of an orange, flaky sea salt and fresh black pepper.
3. Distribute livers evenly into sterilised jars and top with a little melted duck fat (or butter). Place jars into a small ovenproof dish, fill dish with boiling water (to ¾ cover jars), and cook in a 150C oven for 20-25 minutes. Cool, lid the jars, and store in the fridge. Serve as you would pate. Makes 2-3 small jars.

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Popcorn sweetbreads

1. Soak 500g lamb sweetbreads in 2 cups milk and 2 Tbsp flaky sea salt overnight. Drain sweetbreads, peeling away any loose sinew, and dry. Cut into bite-sized pieces.
2. Sift 1 cup flour with 1 Tbsp smoked paprika, 1 Tbsp onion powder, 2 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ground mace, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper. Dip sweetbread pieces into beaten egg, then coat in the flour mix.
3. Shallow fry in hot peanut oil, until golden brown. Drain on to paper towels, season, and serve with fresh squeezed lemon, or a mustard dipping sauce. Serves 8-10 as finger food.

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Venison liver with caramelised onion and fennel bulb

1. Finely slice 1 small onion and 1 fennel bulb. Saute in a hot pan with a little olive oil and a sprig of rosemary, tossing frequently to soften and caramelise. Add a big splash of white balsamic vinegar during the cooking, and season to taste.
2. Soak 300g venison liver in ¼ cup red vermouth (Martini Rosso) overnight. Drain and dry liver, and slice into even-sized pieces. Lightly dredge in seasoned flour, and saute in foaming melted butter until coloured all over. Remove and rest for a minute or 2.
3. Slice the liver and serve with a spoonful of the onions (over freshly cooked polenta, if you're so inspired). Serves 2.

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