The 5th Quarter : Brain Power : Meat: French-born chef Gabriel Sauvion has eaten those little grey cells all his life. He says a brain is a terrible thing to waste.

“It is, I think, something of a paradox that the most difficult of all the variety meats for most people to get past their minds and into their mouths are brains.” --MERLE ELLIS, from The Butcher column

“Brains have a delicious wonderful taste that people don’t know about because they immediately get turned off,” says Gabriel Sauvion, a French-born chef who works and lives in North Carolina. “It’s the name, the idea that you’re eating brain .” He describes its texture as “ mouilleaux , very tender and very delicate.”

While visiting The Times’ Test Kitchen, Sauvion expressed interest in brains and other innards, the food he learned to love while growing up in Paris. “We were very poor, and since I was a kid, I’ve been eating everything. Lungs were the biggest thing, diced and cooked with potatoes. I also liked veal kidneys sauteed with brandy, piquant tongue simmered in a little vinegar and cornichon, and tender-cooked tripe in wine, carrots and tomatoes. But I love brains as much as I love sweetbreads; they have a similar taste. In France all these meats were a lot cheaper; they had special places where they sold only innards.”

Sauvion came to America during World War II, cooking for the French embassy, and since then--including his present job as chef for Highland Lake Inn in Flatrock, N. C.--has not had many opportunities to cook variety meats. “Even my ex-wife, who was from Czechoslovakia, was turned off by them,” he said. “When I would cook kidneys, she would leave the house. But that’s because when her mother used to cook them, the kidneys were not fresh.”

While he prepared his favorite brain dish for The Times--Cervelles au Beurre Noir (Calf’s Brain in Brown Butter Sauce), Sauvion shares some tips: “Brains are very perishable and should be cooked as soon as purchased. They need to be soaked in cold acidulated water, then I like to remove the membrane; otherwise it makes the brains tough and dark as it cooks. You need a lot of patience to do this, about 15 to 20 minutes for each brain. When the brains are nice and fresh, this filament comes out quick.”

Blanching is also necessary. It helps keep the shape and removes traces of blood. The heat should be kept at simmer, not boiling, to prevent toughening the brains.

After all this tender loving care, the brains are ready for your recipe, he says, “--not many things you can do with brains. The classic dish, and the best one, with brown butter and capers is a favorite of all Frenchmen. I also like it poached in red wine or cooked Italian-style with fresh tomatoes. Whichever way prepared, it’s nice with a light Zinfandel, Petite Sirah or, naturally, a Beaujolais.”

Finally he adds, “Do you know that brain is good for you to eat when you come home tired? It’s like a picker-upper.”

CERVELLES AU BEURRE NOIR

(Calf’s Brain in Brown Butter Sauce)

Poached Calf’s Brain

Flour

2 tablespoons butter plus 3/4 cup butter

1 tablespoon oil

Salt, pepper

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon capers in vinegar

3 to 5 tablespoons minced parsley

Slice brain 1/2-inch thick. Dredge in flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter until foamy in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Heat until foam is almost subsided, then add oil. Brown brain lightly 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove slices from skillet.

Cut 3/4 cup butter in small pieces and add to skillet. Bring butter to brown color without burning. Add brain, lemon juice and capers and boil rapidly. Drain brain and pour butter sauce over. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 2 servings.

Poached Calf’s Brain

1 large (about 3/4 pound) calf’s brain

Vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut brain in half. Wash brain in cold running water and place in glass bowl. Soak in several changes water about 1 1/2 hours. Slide index finger and thumb through folds and crevices to remove thin membrane from brain surface. Soak again for another 1 1/2 hours in several changes acidulated water (1 tablespoon vinegar for 1 quart water).

Place brain in saucepan. Cover with 2 inches simmering water mixed with lemon juice and salt. Heat over low heat 20 minutes. Do not boil. Remove from heat. Cool 30 minutes in liquid. Drain brain.