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Stewed veal kidney - florentine manner - with small mushrooms

2 veal kidneys completely cleaned from the wrapping grease
4 white onions cut into very thin slices
1/2 kg of tomato purée
600 grams of cultivated mushrooms cut into very thin slices
1 glass of white wine
10 spoons of olive oil
salt and pepper

Divide the two kidneys into two parts along their lenght and clean them very well from the internal grease, then cut them in pieces and position them under cold water for at least three hours. Then take a small saucepan, put the oil and the onion and let them brown over a brisky heat, but please do not let the oil smoke or the onion burn, as the latter has to have a brown colour, but it should not have a caramel brown colour, because, in this case, the onion would have a bitter and unpleasant taste. Then take a small saucepan and position the slices of drained kidney, without any seasoning, and sauté them for 2 or 3 minutes over a brisky heat, as to drain them completely. Drain these slices and put them in the saucepan with the browned onion (please eliminate the bottom of the pan), turn and mix very well and cook very quickly for 2-3 minutes, then add the white wine and let it evaporate. After 4-5 minutes add the tomato purée, cook for 5-6 minutes more, then add the mushrooms. Turn and add, if necessary, some more salt and pepper, then adjust the heat in order to have a very slow cooking and cook the kidneys for 20 minutes, turning sometimes the stuff using a lid to cover the pan. Serve this preparation very hot: kidney, onions and mushrooms all together.

This recipe had arousen amazement and incredulity within the members of the troupe of a Paris radio station, who were recording a report about our club, due to the taste and the extraordinary softness of this meat after a quite long cooking, which is opposite to the type of cooking used by French chefs, who want to have it very quick.

A Giuseppe Alessi recipe
Translated by Gianna Toni