Buffalo Sweetbreads with Blue Cheese Panna Cotta and Celery Salad

Photo courtesy of Orchids at Palm Court

From: Chef Todd Kelly, Orchids at Palm Court, Cincinnati. Yield: varies.

Sweetbreads:
3 lb. veal sweetbreads
2 qt. milk
1 carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
½ onion, diced
3 qt. chicken stock
2 bunches thyme
1 bay leaf
10 peppercorns

Hot Sauce:
2 lb. red chili peppers
4 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 qt. distilled vinegar
1/8 oz. xanthan gum

1 lb. butter
1 qt. heavy cream
6 oz. blue cheese
5 gelatin sheets
1 celery stalk
¼ cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 oz. micro lovage
2 oz. frisee
1 cup Wondra flour

For sweetbreads: Soak sweetbreads in milk overnight. Remove from milk and rinse under cold water for 5 minutes. Bring remaining ingredients to a simmer and season with salt. Gently poach sweetbreads until slightly firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from poaching liquid and press between two pans with a small weight on top until cool. Remove all excess membrane.

Hot sauce: Rinse chilies under hot water. Dry and transfer to a food processor with salt. Transfer chilies to a nonreactive sterile container and let sit at room temperature for 2 days, covered. Do not stir. Stir in vinegar and store in a cool, dark place for 5 days. Strain and blend in a blender with xanthan gum.

Dice and freeze butter. Cold smoke for 1 hour. In a saucepan, heat hot sauce and whip in the butter as desired.

Bring cream to a simmer and add blue cheese. Whisk until fully dissolved. Add bloomed gelatin and dissolve. Strain and set in desired container.

Peel celery and cut into a v shape. Blanch and shock. Toss celery with buttermilk and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Toss frisee with lemon vinaigrette, chopped chives, salt and pepper.

Dredge sweetbreads in flour and fry until golden brown. Toss with hot sauce. Serve with blue cheese panna cotta, celery and frisee salad.