Fried veal brains part of the Piedmontese mixed fried food

I didn't take raw photos so as not to shock anyone, but if you've ever tasted it, even by mistake, you already know how good it is: super crunchy on the outside thanks to the breading, super creamy on the inside, it has a very delicate flavor (nothing like most offal), it melts in your mouth like butter.

The preparation is very simple:

– The brain is initially covered in a thin layer of skin with tiny blood vessels. To remove it, pinch it lightly and pull it off. This is the longest and most difficult part. Use a little water every now and then. Be careful, as the brain is very delicate at this stage and it's easy to break off small pieces.

– Boil it in water for 10 minutes with a drop of vinegar (apple cider vinegar is best). If you like, you can enjoy it as is (I always recommend adding a drop of lemon juice to break it up a bit, since the brain is quite fatty).

The reason for boiling it is to make it a little easier to work with, as it's very soft when raw.

– Cut it into slices.

– Coat it in flour (I recommend a mix of durum wheat semolina flour, plain flour, a pinch of baking soda, and a teaspoon of potato starch, which helps absorb moisture and leave the breading nice and dry), dip it in the egg, and then coat it in breadcrumbs.

Fry it at about 180-190°C until golden brown. It's important not to overheat the oil, otherwise it risks reaching its smoke point and burning everything. Keep the temperature above 150°C to prevent the oil from absorbing into the food (the final breading should be dry to the touch).

Remember that you've already cooked it when you boil it, so once you're satisfied with the color of the breading, there's no need to leave it any longer.

Fried veal brains are part of the Piedmontese mixed fried meat dish, which also includes sweetbreads, liver (which I don't like), other offal, frogs (in some areas), as well as more common cuts like sausage, breaded veal slice, a few vegetables, and a sweet side (fried semolina

https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semolino_dolce

, amaretto, and battered fried apple are a must).

It's not often done at home (in fact almost never) because it takes a lot of time and there are so many pieces so you need a lot of people for it to make sense, and since most restaurants nowadays don't want to make it with brains and other interesting parts I decided to finally just prepare at least a little bit of it just for me to enjoy.

If you never tried it you might think this cannot be good but trust me it is… and it's also really really cheap (if you can find it, it's not easy to find even in Piedmont).