00:01This dish isn't for the faint of heart, calf's brain.
00:05In French cuisine, it's considered a delicacy.
00:08But would you give it a go?
00:10Or is it more of a no?
00:11If so, maybe we can convince you.
00:18First, it tastes great.
00:20Second, it's healthy and packed with vitamins and minerals.
00:23And third, it's a stand for the environment
00:25in the fight against factory farming.
00:30The restaurant Coup de Bon in Paris specializes in cuisine cannae,
00:34literally scoundrels' kitchen.
00:36This down-to-earth comfort food has a long tradition in France.
00:39They serve offal-like brain or pancreas,
00:44but also tongue and ears.
00:47The principle here, everything is eaten from nose to tail.
00:54Using and eating the whole animal is a way to oppose factory farming.
00:59It means we should consume less meat, but better.
01:02That's why eating everything from nose to tail is so important.
01:09On today's menu, poached calf brain in a lemon butter sauce.
01:13Before the cooking begins, we join Marc-Antoine on a grocery run.
01:18At 5 a.m., he visits the world's largest wholesale food market,
01:21Rangis, south of Paris.
01:24Marc-Antoine gets his supplies fresh from sud-west abbas.
01:32Freshness is vital.
01:33With veal, the meat must be white on the outside.
01:36Discoloration is a bad sign.
01:38There isn't much brain, only 300 grams a calf,
01:41but it's a superb product.
01:45The selection of meat is huge.
01:47But most chefs prefer classic cuts like fillet, steak or brisket.
01:51Offal accounts for only about 14% of total meat sales in Rangis.
01:59Back at Coup de Bon, head chef Oli Clark and his team start prepping.
02:05The ingredients are simple.
02:08Calf's brain, butter, salt, potatoes, capers, lemon sauce and pepper.
02:19First, the brain must be thoroughly washed.
02:22Any remaining blood and the outer membrane are carefully removed.
02:26Once clean, Oli lets it simmer.
02:30You can't boil it too hard or the delicate texture will be damaged.
02:35Next, he prepares the lemon butter sauce and adds the pre-cooked potatoes.
02:41Finally, capers are added for a tangy finish.
02:45And there it is, poached calf brain in a lemon butter sauce.
02:59About a hundred years ago, these specific bistro dishes emerged as cuisine canaille.
03:04They were made with offal, known as the fifth quarter.
03:11Since an animal is divided into four quarters, everything else, the feet, head and organs is called the fifth quarter.
03:20The history of offal cuisine in France dates back to the Middle Ages.
03:25Originally, it was known as a poor man's food.
03:28Even today, offal is much cheaper than classic cuts.
03:30But over the centuries, it evolved into a quintessential French delicacy.
03:40So, how do the guests feel about poached calf's brain?
03:47I love everything. The texture, it's incredibly fine and delicate.
03:52It's a family tradition. I come from a family of eleven children.
03:57So, my parents had to watch the budget.
04:02But what do people think outside the bistro?
04:08The look and the consistency always scare me a little, but the taste is delicious.
04:15I hate calf's brain. I had to eat it as a child, because in France, they say it's full of
04:21healthy nutrients.
04:26I've never tried it.
04:29Gross or gourmet? Would you try calf's brain?
04:33And what do you think of the nose-to-tail approach?
04:36The moisturize.
04:41The translucid competition!
04:45The
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