It was a cruel ruse but one that I think was probably fair. My sister’s friend Hero looked horrified when I suggested she try duck heart (“oh no gross”), which rather jarred with my belief that you should at least try something before saying you don’t like it. So I said no more but later that day when I knew she’d forgotten I set about cooking the plump little hearts on Dad’s improvised barbecue.
“Hero would you like a little barbecued snipe on toast?”
“Oooh, yes please…..(eats heart)….this is delicious. Wow! How have you cooked this?”
I explained briefly what I’d done and wandered off. A few minutes later she stomped into the kitchen.
“Jammy I can’t believe you made me eat heart!”
“But you said you liked it.”
“Yeah but that’s when I thought it was snipe. Heart’s just gross.”
It’s funny how much the mind rules the palate. I have no doubt that if I’d given it to her saying it was heart she’d have found it disgusting. Really the heart’s just another muscle, but there is understandably something a little squeamish about it. Like eating a voodoo canape, as Alan Partridge said.
Anyway, if you fancy giving it a go, here’s what I did. It’s incredibly straightforward, and will work just as well with a chicken heart.
* A handful of duck hearts – one each for a nibble or 2-3 each for a starter (they’re good in salads)
* A few shakes of tabasco
* A tbsp or thereabouts of soy sauce
* A tsp of honey
* A glug of olive oil
* A good pinch of salt
* Sliced baguette
– Butterfly the hearts but slicing 5/6 of the way through them and flattening them out.
– Marinate in the tabasco, soy, honey, olive oil and salt. This is very basic, due to a very bare kitchen, so do jazz it up. Garlic, herbs, you know what to do. Leave for as long as you like. I cooked them pretty much straight away.
– Grill or barbecue for 2 minutes on each side and serve on toast.
“Jammy”? Oh that’s adorable. 🙂
And goodness, I can understand the thought of something putting someone off trying it in the first place (well, I can’t really, but I appreciate it happens). But I cannot understand the mindset that switches to hating something they liked when they find out afterwards!
It’s a bit weird that the disembodied hand lying next to the barbecue grill in that last picture passed without comment.
Lovely recipe although I do think you have to be a fan of offal to totally appreciate. Can I also just say I’ve finally got round to fully reading your glorious cook book. I simply love it; from it’s cover to your little hints and tips along the way. It is very stylish and sexy (much like yourself) and packed full of really excellent recipes and brilliantly charming chapter titles. Nice work James. You are an inspiration. X
Never had duck heart, but I do like chicken heart. Looks delicious!
I’ll give most things a try, but sometime I do prefer not knowing what I’m about to try….
Haha! Good story. They look great. I dare you to put these on the menu for the kids’ supper club night.
I think I might try this down the hut with chicken livers. Dirt cheap: a good end of the month dish.
got no problem eating hearts when they look like that 😉 yum.
i’m sure I left a message about this post but I did it early one morning on my iphone…? I waxed lyrically about how i’d just finished reading your cook book cover to cover and how beautiful it was but either you deleted the post or I didn’t do it properly… I said such nice things (very un-like me) and I can’t remember how I put it all now… bloody great book and bloody great chicken hearts was essentially the sentiment x
You are far too kind! Thanks DOm xx
Looks like it needs more lube….(ahem), and it does look a bit like some sort of mamallian vagina. Perhaps you could stuff the ventricles next time? Would that work? And baste the fuck out of them……?
Du Beurre x
Creep.
Pingback: Food Links, 17.08.2010 « Tangerine and Cinnamon
After just having discovered how delicious grilled duck hearts are while I was holidaying in the Basque country, I was thrilled to find your recipe. In fact, I’ve posted it on my blog with details of La Grande Bouffe I experienced in France this summer! Take a look at http://www.flashnomad.com.
Pingback: Eat Your Heart! | flashnomad.com