No. 916 — Sweetbreads with Béchamel (Batter in the Original Directions)
English historical translation of Molokhovets recipe No. 916 from the 1901 Russian cookbook, retaining original methods and measures.
Soak about 2–2½ Russian pounds of sweetbreads in water, scald with boiling water, plunge into cold water, remove the sinews and cut into slices.
Place in a covered round dish with one finely shredded onion, a little salt and pepper, two or three bay leaves and the juice of one lemon. Cover tightly and leave for an hour or longer.
Remove the sweetbreads and dry thoroughly. For the batter, beat one teaspoon of unsalted butter until pale with one egg, add a little salt and stir in ½ glass of water and enough flour to form a thick batter that clings well to the meat.
Dip the slices in the batter and fry in ¼ Russian pound of very hot butter. Drain on a sieve lined with absorbent paper.
Arrange on a platter neatly covered with a folded napkin and serve with green vegetables or herbs.