| How To Cook: |
|
|
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel the potatoes and slice them 1/8 inch thick; set them aside in a bowl of cold water to prevent discoloration.
|
2. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat. When the foam subsides, add the onions and cook them until they are soft and lightly colored. Remove them to a dish with a slotted spoon.
|
3. Add more butter and oil to the skillet if necessary, and in it brown the kidneys and pork slices quickly, turning with tongs several times to brown them evenly. Remove the meats from the skillet and slice the kidneys ¼ inch thick.
|
4. Now deglaze the pan by adding the beer, stock and sugar and boiling them over high heat for 2 or 3 minutes, meanwhile scraping into the liquid any browned bits of onions or sediment clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
|
5. Drain the potatoes and pat them dry with paper towels. Arrange 2 or 3 layers of potatoes, meat and onions alternately in a 3-quart oven-to-table casserole, finishing with a layer of potatoes on top.
|
6. Season each layer with salt and pepper as you proceed, and place the bay leaf in the center of the top layer. Pour in the deglazing liquid; it should just cover the top layer in the casserole. Add more stock if it does not.
|
7. Bring the casserole to a boil on top of the stove and then bake, uncovered, in the center of the oven for about 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until the top potato layer is brown and tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
|
8. Serve directly from the casserole as a one-dish meal.
|
