Drob de miel
Lamb offal loaf
Drob de miel: Romanian Easter lamb offal loaf with spring onion, dill and hard-boiled eggs
On Easter Sunday a Romanian table holds red-dyed eggs, cozonac and, nearly always, a slab of drob: lamb liver, heart and kidneys poached, chopped and bound with fresh bread, raw egg and a whole bunch of spring onions and dill, then baked with hard-boiled eggs hidden in the middle. Sliced cold, each piece shows a yellow-and-white eye of egg in a green-flecked, earthy loaf that is milder than you might expect. It is served as a starter with radishes, horseradish and green salad, and keeps well for the days of visiting that follow. Butchers often sell a lamb 'pluck'; ask for the lungs to be left out if you prefer, and use a little extra lamb mince instead. The classic mistake is under-seasoning: the loaf is eaten cold, which dulls salt and herbs, so the mix should taste bold. Chef's tip: wrap the loaf in caul fat (prapur) if your butcher has it; it bastes the drob as it bakes and gives a lacy, golden crust.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the offal
- 10 ½ oz lamb livertrimmed
- 7 oz lamb hearttrimmed of tubes
- 5 ½ oz lamb kidneyscored
- 9 oz lamb mince
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
For the loaf
- 3 ½ oz day-old white breadcrusts removed
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 bunches spring onionsabout 300 g, finely sliced
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 ⅜ oz fresh dillchopped
- 1 oz flat-leaf parsleychopped
- 3 cloves green garlic or garliccrushed
- 3 eggsfor binding
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepperfreshly ground
- 4 eggsfor the centre
- 7 oz caul fat (prapur) (optional)soaked in cold water
- ½ oz butterfor the tin
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (11)
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Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Put the 7 oz lamb heart and 5 ½ oz lamb kidneys in a pan with the 2 bay leaves and 1 tsp black peppercorns, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and skim. Simmer gently for 25 minutes.
27 minStep 2: Add the 10 ½ oz lamb liver and simmer for 10 minutes more, until it is firm and no longer pink when cut. Drain and leave to cool.
10 minStep 3: Meanwhile boil the 4 eggs for 10 minutes, cool them in cold water and peel.
12 minStep 4: Soak the 3 ½ oz day-old white bread in the ¾ cup milk for 10 minutes, then squeeze it out lightly.
10 minStep 5: Heat the 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and soften the 3 bunches spring onions for 5 minutes, until wilted and bright green. Add the 9 oz lamb mince and fry for 6 minutes, breaking it up, until no longer pink.
11 minStep 6: Chop the cooled offal very finely or pulse it in a food processor until it is like coarse mince. Tip into a large bowl with the onion and mince, squeezed bread, 1 ⅜ oz fresh dill, 1 oz flat-leaf parsley and 3 cloves green garlic or garlic.
6 minStep 7: Beat in the 3 eggs, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper and mix well. The mix should taste well seasoned; fry a teaspoon to check if you are unsure.
3 minStep 8: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan). Grease a 1.2-litre loaf tin with the ½ oz butter, or line it with the 7 oz caul fat (prapur), leaving the edges hanging over.
3 minStep 9: Spread half the mix in the tin, lay the peeled eggs end to end down the middle, then cover with the rest and press down. Fold the caul over the top if using.
4 minStep 10: Bake for 45–50 minutes, until browned on top, firm when pressed and a thermometer in the centre (beside, not in, an egg) reads 160°F.
50 minStep 11: Cool in the tin for 30 minutes, then turn out and chill for at least 3 hours before slicing. Keep in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does drob de miel take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
- What can I use instead of black peppercorns?
- Ground black pepper, a little less than the amount.
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