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You’ve probably heard me prattle on about nose-to-tail eating before but in case you missed it, I advocate including the occasional organ meat in your diet. It not only reduces waste but they are nutrient dense. Heart in particular has a really epic amount of co-enzyme Q10 (coQ10) which is good for – you guessed it – your heart. It is also an essential nutrient for muscle health, skin health and reproductive health. CoQ10 is better absorbed through food, and it’s also more economical to eat it rather than take it as a supplement. If you’re new to organ meats, heart is one of the better ones to start with because it’s texture is usually the best tolerated (personally I think it’s great!)
Don’t discard the idea straight away, give it a try and let me know how you feel!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lambs hearts (preferably organic)
• ½- 1 small onion, cut into chunks
• 1 carrot, cut into chunks
• A bouqet garni: 1 bay leaf, a sprig of thyme and rosemary tied together
• A few black peppercorns

Sauce:

• A small glass/big glug of dry sherry
• 1 tbsp cider/white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp redcurrent jelly
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp hot English mustard
• 1 tbsp double cream
• 1-2 tsp worcestshire sauce
• Salt and pepper
• Chopped parsley (optional, to garnish)

METHOD

1. Cut the lamb’s hearts into half. Rinse them well under cold running water then trim away the tough tubes from the inside (leave on the fat at this stage). Put them in a pan with the onion, carrot, celery, bay, thyme and peppercorns and pour on enough cold water just to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook very gently for 1½–2 hours, until tender. Take out the hearts and leave them to cool. Trim them again, this time removing the bigger chunks of fat if necessary, then slice thickly or into chunks.
   
2. Heat a dash of oil in a small frying pan over a high heat. Add the heart pieces, season with a pinch of salt and sizzle for just a minute to brown them, tossing them occasionally. Then add the sherry and let it bubble for a moment. Add the vinegar and redcurrant jelly and stir until the jelly dissolves. Add the Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, mustard and plenty of black pepper. Let it all bubble down and reduce until thick and glossy – about 2–3 minutes.
3. Finally, add the cream and let it bubble for another minute or two, shaking the pan occasionally, until the sauce is reduced and nicely glossy again. Taste and add more salt or cayenne and black pepper, if you like.
4. Sprinkle with the parsley, if you’re using it, and serve straight away –I accompanied it with a green salad and cauliflower rice.

Have you tried heart? What did you think?

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