Sweetbreads are by far my favourite offal. The tender and moist texture combined with the crispy exterior is simply heavenly. Accompanied with seasonal roast vegetables and a silky smooth almond purée, this dish will definitely get your taste buds going.

Crispy sweetbreads, asparagus and almond purée and wines to match

Ingredients:

800g raw veal sweetbreads
12 thin green asparagus
1 bunch of cherry tomatoes
2 tbsps olive oil (+ a drizzle for baking)

To prepare the almond purée:

100g Blanched almonds
200ml milk
100ml cream

To prepare the jus:

500ml veal stock
200ml tomato juice
30g black olives
Salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat your oven to 180degrees C
It is best to soak the sweetbreads for several hours in clean cold water to remove any impurities. Bring a large pot filled with salted water to a gentle simmer before adding the raw sweetbreads inside. Depending on the size; cook them for 15 to 20 minutes making sure the water never boils. Delicately remove the offal from the water and immediately refresh in ice cold water. Finally, trim off any sinew or gristle and pat dry. Keep them to one side until all the other ingredients are prepped.
To create a simple and light jus to accompany the dish. Reduce the stock and the tomato juice in two separate saucepans. Once reduce by 2/3 whisk them together, had the halved olives and season to taste.
Rehydrate and soften the blanched almonds in a medium sized saucepan with both liquids. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Whilst still hot, place the almonds and liquid directly into a food processor and blitz till completely smooth. Season well.
Place the cherry tomatoes and asparagus spears in a large mixing bowl. Carefully season the veggies with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Then place in a baking tray and cook for 12 to 15 minutes. Once the asparagus are tender and the tomatoes are shrivelled up remove from the oven.
In the meantime; season each sweetbread with salt and pepper and lightly dust in flour before pan-frying in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil on a medium to high heat. Avoid moving them too often in the pan, in order to achieve that beautiful crispy brown colour. This should only take 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
Elegantly dress all the elements together and devour.

Wines to match with crispy sweetbreads, asparagus and almond purée

In France this delicate white meat is traditionally paired with a crisp white wine. So keeping with tradition, why not try a 100% Chardonnay from Burgundy. Cave de Lugny Les charmes, Mâcon Lugny 2014 is refreshingly crisp and perfect to offset the full richness from the sweetbreads.

For those who truly prefer a red wine with meat, I suggest a light Pinot Noir from the Loire region. The 2013 Reuilly Rouge, Les Pierres Plates from Denis Jamain is bursting with redcurrant flavours and subtle hints of earthiness. Which genuinely complements the roasted veggies in this recipe.

Finally, a very special white wine to accompany this delectable offal dish. I assure you the 2012 Châteauneuf-du-pape, pure Roussane from Domaine Raymond Usseglio is worth every penny. This dry and aged in barrel white wine just embellishes and brings this whole dish together.

The wines

Cave de Lugny, Les Charmes, Mâcon Lugny 2014: The delicateness of the sweetbreads begs for a full flavoured wine. This white Burgundy is abundant in stone fruit, honey flavours, with intense aromas of peach and apricot. It is wonderfully refreshing cutting the butteryness of the dish and a subtle spicy twist compliments it beautifully. RRP: £11.49 from Waitrose Cellar

Denis Jamain, Reuilly Rouge, Les Pierres Plates 2013: A sumptuously deep red. Dark cherry and blueberry flavours hit the palate first with a delicate hint of spice which pairs beautifully with the tender sweetbreads. RRP: £14.95 from Berry Bros & Rudd

Domaine Raymond Usseglio, pure Roussane, Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2012: There is a wonderfully complex minerality to this wine. With sweet flavours of peach and honeysuckle, there is a hint of sea salt which balances the flavour beautifully. This wine is a real treat and truly one to savour. RRP: £39.95 Berry Bros & Rudd

Michel Roux Jr was born in 1960 in Pembury, Kent, where his father Albert Roux worked as a private chef for the Cazalet family. His earliest food memories are the smells of the Fairlawne kitchen – pastry, sugar caramelizing and stews – where he played under the table while his father and mother Monique prepared the meals. After deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps, he left school at 16 for the first of several challenging apprenticeships at Maître Patissier, Hellegouarche in Paris from 1976 to 1979. He was then Commis de Cuisine at Alain Chapel’s signature restaurant at Mionay near Lyon, Michel’s biggest influence. His military service was spent in the kitchens at the Elysée Palace at the time of Presidents Giscard d’Estaing and François Mitterrand. He also spent time at Boucherie Lamartine and Charcuterie Mothu in Paris, and the Gavers Restaurant in London. After a stint at the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong he returned to London and worked at La Tante Claire before joining the family business. He took over running Le Gavroche in 1991, gradually changing the style of cooking to his own – classic French with a lighter, modern twist. Michel opened Roux at Parliament Square in May 2010 with Restaurant Associates, part of the Compass Group UK and Ireland. And in November 2010, he opened Roux at The Landau at London’s prestigious luxury hotel, The Langham. Michel was a judge and presenter on the BBC’s popular prime time show, MasterChef: The Professionals, and presented all series of ‘Great British Food Revival.’ Michel fronted BBC2’s ‘Food and Drink,’ in 2014 and presented a documentary on Escoffier, whose revolutionary approach to fine cuisine has inspired Michel and many others. In the same year, Michel went on a journey to create the perfect chocolate for the Le Gavroche Kitchen. Filmed by the BBC, in Paris he discovered chocolatiers, Cacao Barry and their Or Noir Lab. In 2013, Michel launched his most recent cookbook, ‘The French Kitchen’. Focusing on traditional French home cooking, this is the fifth solo cookery book from Michel. He is involved with the Roux Experience courses at the ‘Cactus Kitchens’ cookery school, with the Executive producer of Saturday Kitchen, Amanda Ross. Cactus Kitchens offers people the opportunity to learn to cook within small intimate groups from some of the UK’s finest chefs, on site above the Saturday Kitchen studios. Michel has fronted a brand new four-part Channel 4 series, ‘The Diner’, exploring the hurdles faced by people with disabilities and mental health issues when finding employment. Michel also recently presented a new program on his first ever project with the Disney Channel. ‘First Class Chefs’ which launched in June 2015, is a show where kids aged 9-11 compete to showcase their restaurant skills.