Part II: Can You Roll your Tongue?

Here's something I come up with for a Saturday meal. I had a piece of tongue left, and was supposed to make winter chanterelle risotto to go with it. So there am I, wondering what to do with the tongue. My last attempt, to dice it finely and shove it in the risotto wasn't too great a success. Not horribly bad but didn't do justice either to the risotto nor the tongue. So what to do, what to do?!

I grabbed the lappy and googled. Not very many recipes of that sort kicking about but I saw a picture of finely cut tongue over risotto. (Thanks!) That gave me an idea. Finely slice, add something nice over and roll? Yes, let's try that!

Tongue Rolls with Winter Chanterelle Risotto

 

This meal is best to be done in the following order:
1. Slice, cut and chop non-meat items you need for both risotto and tongue rolls. Put the mushrooms to soak. You can also put the stock to simmer for the tongue.
2. While the stock simmers, slice the tongue.
3. Prepare the rolls and put them into oven. (See recipe below)
4. Prepare the risotto. (See recipe below)
5. Take the rolls out of the oven and serve over risotto.

Tongue Rolls

• 1-2 tsp grated lemon rind
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1-2 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 basil leaves
• 2-3 sage leaves
• Piece of tongue from the thicker end, approx. 10 cm
• black pepper
• grated parmesan or flakes

1. Put the stock to the boil. Add 1-2 tbps lemon juice. Let it simmer until its reduced to 50% or so. Taste it occasionally, it is ready when it develops a good strong but not too pungent flavour. Thicken the sauce.
2. Grate the lemon, chop herbs finely and mix all except for parmesan. Set oven to 150C.
3. Cut the tongue into very thin (few millimetres) slices. This mix makes enough for about 15 slices.
4. Brush one side of the tongue slice with the lemon-herb mix and sprinkle some parmesan over.
5. Roll the tongue tightly, secure wih a coctail stick if needed and place in a oven proof dish.
6. Pour over the sauce, stick into oven and let heat up for about 20 mins.

Winter Chanterelle Risotto

This is a non-meat version of winter chanterelle risotto. If you rather use some other kind of mushroom, it should be as good as well. You can combine mushroom-soaking water with stock if you want more mushroomey taste to the risotto. If you dont want to use wine, just replace it with stock.

• 1,5 dl arborio rice
• 1 small onion quite finely chopped
• 7 cm piece of celery sliced
• 1 dl dry sherry or 1,5 dl white wine
• 1,5- 2 dl of dried winter chanterelles
• 1 dl grated parmesan
• 6-7dl (or so) low salt chicken stock
• butter for frying 

1. Soak mushrooms in cold water, 10-15 mins is enough. Dice and slice all veggies.
2. Fry mushrooms lightly on medium heat. Put the mushrooms aside.
3. Put stock into a kettle and bring it near boiling temperature.  
4. Saute onion and celery, add rice and let it get slightly glassy look.
5. Pour in wine and let it lightly boil while stirring. Let rice absorb wine before adding stock.
6. Add the first ladle of stock, let the rice absorb it while stirring occasionally. Do not let the risotto boil vigorously.
7. Repeat 6 until the rice is almost done (when there's still something to bite but the hard starchey quality is gone) and put in the musrooms.
9. Add stock and let the rice absorb it. Test the rice and add some more stock if it's not ready yet, let absorb.
10. Take the pan off the heat, mix parmesan in and let it melt.
11. Pile on a plate, put some tongue rolls on top and serve!

Part I: It's on the Tip of the Tongue

If you have a weak stomach I suggest you stop reading now. You're welcome to return later, I'll let you know when it's safe to come back ;) This time, I am gonna prepare some tongue. A cow's tongue, to be exact. Tongue is a cheap delicacy but some find it the idea of eating it too repulsive. Most often, you can find beef tongues in the stores but they sometimes offer reindeer, pork and lamb tongues too. Mind you, tongue is a cheap and healthy eat, it doesn't contain much fat. Plus it's tasty!

Preparing a Tongue

Preparing tongue is best to begin at least day before the intended meal. The tongue needs to be cooked before it can be used for various kinds of dishes. Many textbooks say that you need to soak the tongue in (salted) cold wated for hours before cooking, and others maintain that you need to brush it under running cold water thoroughly. These are needed to remove blood etc. from the tongue before cooking. I just usually rinse it very thoroughly under running water, rubbing with my hand. For cooking the tongue you need

• Tongue (Beef)
• A big kettle
• Water to cover the tongue
• A peeled and thickly sliced carrot
• 1-2 onions, cut in 4 wedges
• 15 cm stick of celery, in slices
• 1-2 garlic gloves, roughly chopped
• 8 whole black peppers, 2 bay leafs
• Salt
• Long, thin, sharp instrument (knife, skewer, metal knitting pin)
• (other herbs, veggies and spices)

1. Cover the tongue in cold water in a large kettle and bring to boil.








2. When it starts to develop foam on the surface, remove it with a spoon. This is done to obtain clear stock; you can use it for soups and sauces later on.






3. When the foam is all peeled, put in all the spices and vegetables and let lightly boil. A beef tongue is cooked in 2-3 hours, the smaller tongues (pork etc.) in 1,5 hrs or so. You can test if the tongue is done by sticking a long, sharp instrument half-way into the thickest spot: if the liquid that seeps out is clear, it's ready. If the liquid is brown or red, let it boil for a while.

4. When the tongue is done, remove from the kettle and peel the skin off. It should come of easy, especially from the tip. At the root you may have to aid with a knife and maybe thinly cut it off. This must be done while it's still hot, as the skin comes off easiest then. I usually use kitchen paper to avoid touching it with my bare fingers. It's hot! Ouch! (Here I am not using paper for the sake of the picture)


After peeling, put the tongue back into the liquid and let it cool. Now the tongue is ready for some really delish dishes! You can keep the liquid and use it for stock in sauces and soups etc. You can also put the tongue -or part of it- in the freezer, it takes freezing rather well. You also may want to consider letting the stock simmer a while to concentrate it for freezing or sauces.

Breaded Tongue Steaks

This is dish brings back childhood memories. Breaded tongue, lemon and potato mash! It was served in restaurants in Finland in the 1970's and early 80's and considered a fine delicacy. And it is yummy, and oh so filling. These days a fresh, green salad would be a lighter side dish instead of potato mash.

• Tongue slices, 1 cm thick
• 1-2 Eggs
• Plain wheat flour
• Bread crumbs
• Salt, ground black pepper, paprika, a touch of chili or cayenne
• Butter or mixture of oil and butter to fry

Mix the spices into the flour. Put flour in one plate, lightly whisked eggs on another, and bread crumbs on third plate. First cover the slices in flour, then dip into the egg and finally in bread crumbs. Put the breaded slices aside and heat the butter in a pan. Fry the slices in the butter until golden brown on each side. Take it from me; use butter, plain oil gives a poor finish. Pile on a serving plate, and serve with lemon wedges!

Tongue Steaks with Parmesan Crust

And we have a winner! This is the result of my third (3) attempt to coat tongue steaks with a parmesan crust. Lessons learned are: 1) Use freshly grated good quality parmesan in big strips or flakes, 2) Coat the steaks lightly, do not make a thick lumpy coating, 3) Be careful when baking them in the oven, the thinner coating doesnt protect the meat from drying at all.

• 1 egg white (approx. 3 for the whole tongue)
• Tongue cut in ~1cm thick pieces
• 3 tbsp grated parmesan
• 1,5 dl parmesan (generous)
• Pepper

1. Rub the lemon thoroughly under running warm water. Turn the oven on to 200C.
2. Grate cheese and parmesan.









3. Mix them in a bowl.








4. Put egg white(s) in one bowl or plate.

5. Cut the meat and grind some black pepper over.









6. Dip the steaks first in egg and then in the cheese-lemon mix.









8. Place the coated steaks on a baking tray.







9. Bake in 200C until the crust is golden, slightly brown, for about 15 mins. Be very careful not to bake too long or the meat dries.

10. Serve with salad!