The Dish: Cervelle de veau au beurre noir
Where to Get It: La Chaumière, 2813 M St. NW; (202) 338-1784; lachaumieredc.com
Price: $14.50 for lunch or $17.75 for dinner
What It Is: Sautéed calf’s brain with brown butter, lemon, and capers, served with mashed potatoes, carrots, and baby bok choy.
What It Tastes Like: “Beefy silken tofu” comes to mind. The two lobes have a velvety texture and subtle beef flavor.
The Story: Chef Patrick Orange claims to be one of the last French chefs in D.C. who still uses the old-school French cooking methods of Auguste Escoffier. And that means preparing calf’s brains, a very classic French dish that’s been mostly abandoned in the U.S. Now that head-to-tail cooking is cool, maybe it’ll see a resurgence?
Brain Tease: La Chaumière serves 10 pounds of calf brains a week.
Photo by Mary Kong-DeVito