From Hannibal · 2013-2015 · Reconstructed
Lamb Tongue en Papillote with Mushroom Duxelle
Serve when
Serve when Hannibal calls the dish 'a particularly chatty lamb' at the table — the pun is the cue.
In the series
Season 1
- S1E6 · ~00:18:00 Hannibal serves Dr. Chilton and Dr. Bloom a parchment-wrapped tongue dish over dinner, dryly crediting Escoffier
In the series
Hannibal's dinner parties are the show's clearest window into how he thinks about people: courses to be seasoned, cut, and served with a joke only he's in on. This is one of the earliest full demonstrations of that technique — an elegant, technically demanding dish that's also, on Hannibal's terms, a private punchline about where the protein came from. The show never spells that out at the table; the recipe here is built from what's actually plated, not from the joke.
Ingredients
- For the tongue:
- For the duxelle:
- To finish:
Method
- Simmer the tongues in water with the carrot, onion, bay leaves, and peppercorns for about 2 hours, until a knife tip slides in with no resistance. Cool just until you can handle them, then peel off the outer skin — it slips away easily while the tongues are still warm, and clings once they're fully cold.
- Slice the peeled tongues thin on a bias.
- Cook the mushrooms and shallots in butter over medium heat until the mushrooms release their liquid and it evaporates, about 10 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and reduce until the duxelle is thick and almost dry.
- Lay a bed of duxelle on one half of each parchment round, fan the sliced tongue over it, drizzle with olive oil, and season. Fold the parchment over and crimp the edges tightly to seal.
- Bake the parcels at 400 F for 10 minutes, until puffed. Bring them to the table sealed and let each guest open their own — the steam that escapes is part of the presentation.
Substitutions
- Lamb tongue: Beef tongue works the same way and is easier to source; simmer it longer, closer to 3 hours, since it's a larger cut.
- Oyster mushrooms: Any meaty mushroom — cremini, shiitake, or a mix — makes a good duxelle. The goal is a dense, dark, almost pâté-like spread.
Beyond the recipe
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