Wildest Bite - Lamb Brain

Have you ever eaten a food that pushed you out of your comfort zone? What is the most unique or strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?
Yes, although the food didn’t push me out of my comfort zone. I pushed myself!

Where did you eat it?
I was in the in the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia, in the middle of sheep country. We were dining at a very nice restaurant, and I saw that one of the offerings was lamb’s brains. It gave me a bit of a shiver, but I decided that if I was ever going to try them, this would be the place. Besides, it sounded rather delicious – brains in a light egg custard with a savory sauce. The idea of the delicate organ baked in an airy custard, while texturally similar, somehow conjured up an image of the unbeatable duo of egg and truffle. This, even though, of course, brains and truffles have absolutely nothing to do with one another. Go figure.

Did you go into it willingly by ordering them, were you persuaded to try them, or were you dared?

I did not need to be coaxed one bit to order this. I was in a full-on food exploration phase, and somehow being in a place so far away from home emboldened me. It was a bit of a “when in Rome” situation, and I embraced it.

Were you surprised by it? Would you recommend it?
The surprise in the dish came in how much I did NOT like it. I dug away at it like a champ, trying to find a redeeming characteristic instead of the gooey, gamy and, for lack of a better word, odd flavor I discovered. The custard was good though!

Have you ordered it since or attempted to re-create it in any way?
I will never know if the dish I ordered simply wasn’t a good rendition or if I would never like lamb brains under any circumstance because trust me – I have never ordered them again. Likewise, I have zero desire to cook them. What this experience did do, though, was help me recognize that I don’t need to challenge myself when it comes to ordering a dish just for daring sake. So much great food, so little time. Then again, the next time I’m in a place I’ve never been and I’m being offered a local specialty, how can I say no? I might discover the next best thing since sliced cheese!