Veal Kidney

Why veal kidney is rated low

Veal kidney is low FODMAP. As an organ meat it is essentially protein and fat with negligible carbohydrate, so the kidney itself gives your gut nothing to ferment. The rating is estimated from what veal kidney is made of rather than measured at a weighed serving, so the ladder reads "Any typical portion" with no figure attached. The real risk lives in the classic kidney dishes: pies, cream sauces and mustard pan sauces that almost always start with onion or shallot.

What changes your risk

• Steak and kidney pie or pudding The filling is usually cooked down with onion and a stock, and the whole thing is wrapped in wheat pastry or suet crust. Both bring FODMAPs the kidney does not have.
• Cream and mustard sauces French-style kidneys in mustard sauce typically start with shallots and finish with cream, and many versions add mushrooms. Each of those raises the load of the dish.
• Braising liquid and stock Kidneys braised in ordinary stock pick up its onion and garlic. Cooking does not destroy FODMAPs, and because the FODMAPs in onion and garlic are water-soluble, the liquid keeps them even if the vegetables are strained out.
• Flour to thicken Dusting kidneys in wheat flour, or thickening the sauce with it, adds FODMAPs. Rice flour or cornflour thickens just as well.
• The rest of the meal Kidney adds nothing to the meal's total, so toast, mash made with milk, or a mushroom side is what pushes it up. Low on the plate is not the same as low for the whole meal.

What else works

Other plain meats sit alongside it at low: veal liver, lamb kidney, beef, chicken and fish are all low when cooked without onion or garlic. The lookalikes that are not low are the prepared dishes: steak and kidney pie, kidneys in cream and shallot sauce, devilled kidneys on wheat toast, and sausages or haggis-style mixes bulked out with onion and wheat. To keep the classic flavours, cook in butter or garlic-infused oil, use the green tops of spring onions or leek leaves in place of shallot, and finish with a little mustard, lemon and parsley.

How to keep it low

Look for veal kidneys that are pale, firm and mild-smelling, and cook them within a day of buying or freeze them. Peel off the outer membrane, halve them lengthwise and cut away the white core and fat, then soak in cold water and pat dry. Kidneys reward either very quick cooking, seared hot until just pink, or a long gentle braise; anything in between makes them rubbery. For a braise, use a homemade stock made from bones, carrot, leek leaves and herbs, and serve over plain mashed potato made with butter, or over rice.

Common questions

is veal kidney low fodmap

Yes. Veal kidney is low FODMAP at Any typical portion, a rating estimated from what it is made of, protein and fat with negligible carbohydrate. Onion, cream and wheat in the recipe are what change it.

is steak and kidney pie low fodmap

Usually not. The filling is typically cooked with onion and stock, and the wheat pastry adds more, so the pie carries FODMAPs even though the kidney and beef do not.

can i eat kidneys on the elimination phase

Plain veal kidney fits the elimination phase when it is cooked without onion, garlic, ordinary stock or a wheat flour thickener. Garlic-infused oil, herbs and a homemade stock keep the dish within the diet.

what to cook veal kidney with instead of shallots

The green tops of spring onions, chives or leek leaves give a similar savoury note. Garlic-infused oil adds garlic flavour without the garlic pieces.