Calf's liver is a delectable and nutritious organ meat that has been enjoyed for centuries. Known for its rich, slightly gamey flavor and velvety texture, it pairs exceptionally well with a variety of ingredients. This article presents a culinary journey through three distinct yet equally tempting recipes featuring calf's liver. From the classic pairing of liver and onions to the tangy delight of liver with grapes and the aromatic embrace of liver with bacon and apples, these recipes showcase the versatility and culinary potential of this remarkable ingredient. Embark on this gustatory adventure and discover the hidden depths of flavor that calf's liver has to offer.
Here are our top 8 tried and tested recipes!
SAUTEED CALF'S LIVER
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Beef Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Place liver in a nonreactive (ceramic or glass) bowl and pour milk over. Refrigerate, covered, 5 to 6 hours.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. When butter is shimmering, add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring more frequently until onions are very soft and brown, 30 to 40 minutes more.
- Drain liver and discard milk. Pat liver dry with paper towels.
- Spread flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Thoroughly coat liver with the flour mixture, shaking off excess.
- Heat a large (13-inch) saute pan over medium heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the oil and heat until shimmering. Cook (in batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding pan) until liver is firm (but not hard) and browned on the outside but still slightly pink in the center, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining liver, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. Add sage and cook for 1 minute more.
- Divide liver among plates and top with onions.
SWEET AND SOUR LIVER
Provided by Food Network
Yield 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Beat the egg with a pinch of salt. Lightly flour the slices of liver, shake off the excess, and dip them first into the beaten egg and then into the breadcrumbs.
- In a large heavy skillet, over a medium high heat, melt the butter and quickly sear the liver until brown on both sides. Turn the liver only once to avoid overcooking. Remove the liver to a platter and cover with loosely tented foil to keep warm.
- To the same skillet, over a low heat, add the shallots and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lime juice and sugar, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lime segments. Pour this mixture over the liver and garnish with slices of hard cooked egg.
- Serve with braised green cabbage.
CALF'S LIVER WITH GRAPES
Provided by Pierre Franey
Categories dinner, main course
Time 20m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Sprinkle liver on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Dip pieces in flour to coat well on both sides. Shake off excess. Set aside.
- Combine sugar and vinegar in heavy saucepan and bring to boil. Cook, shaking saucepan and stirring, until liquid evaporates. Continue cooking until sugar becomes caramel color. Take care that it does not burn.
- Add chicken broth and stir in tomato paste. Bring to boil and cook 5 minutes or longer until reduced to 1/2 cup. Add grapes and butter.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in heavy skillet and when hot add pieces of liver, a few at a time, in one layer. Cook 1 or 2 minutes on one side and turn. Cooking time will depend on thickness. Cook on second side 1 or 2 minutes. As pieces are cooked transfer to heated platter. Continue adding pieces and a little more oil to skillet as necessary, tablespoon at a time.
- Bring sauce to boil and pour onto liver. Serve with mashed potatoes or pureed cauliflower (see recipe).
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 388, UnsaturatedFat 15 grams, Carbohydrate 25 grams, Fat 25 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 17 grams, SaturatedFat 8 grams, Sodium 555 milligrams, Sugar 13 grams, TransFat 1 gram
CALF'S LIVER WITH BACON, CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND SHERRY
Steps:
- In a large glass baking dish, add liver and milk and let soak for 20 minutes.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon and butter and cook until fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and reserve 3 tablespoons fat in skillet. Reserve remaining fat.
- Cook onions with salt and pepper, to taste, in bacon fat in skillet over moderate heat for 10 minutes or until caramelized. Transfer onions to a bowl and add bacon. Set aside.
- Pat liver dry and discard milk. In a large zip-top bag, add flour, Essence, salt and pepper. Working in batches, add liver and shake to coat. Set aside on baking sheet until ready to cook.
- Add 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat to skillet over high heat and add liver; cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Turn liver over, remove pan from heat, add sherry and beef broth, return pan to heat and shake and flambe. Cook on second side for about 2 minutes or until cooked through. Serve liver with pan sauce, topped with onions and bacon.
- Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
- Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.
SAUTéED CALF'S LIVER WITH BACON AND RADICCHIO
Provided by Melissa Clark
Categories easy, quick, one pot, appetizer, main course, side dish
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- In a large skillet, sauté bacon and onion until both are well browned and onions are tender, about 10 minutes. If pan starts to dry out, add a tablespoon of olive oil.
- Add radicchio and a large pinch of salt and pepper and continue to sauté until radicchio is very tender, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the honey and vinegar, then transfer mixture to a serving platter and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
- Wipe out skillet and add a tablespoon of oil. While it heats, season liver with salt and pepper. Add liver to pan, in batches if necessary, and sauté for about 2 minutes a side over high heat. (Add more oil to pan between batches if necessary.) Liver is done when it is golden on surface but still pink on inside. As pieces cook, transfer them to serving platter on top of radicchio mixture. Garnish with parsley and serve over polenta if desired.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 370, UnsaturatedFat 11 grams, Carbohydrate 12 grams, Fat 19 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 37 grams, SaturatedFat 5 grams, Sodium 587 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
CALF'S LIVER WITH CAPERS
Provided by Pierre Franey
Categories dinner, main course
Time 10m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Sprinkle the liver slices with salt and pepper, and dredge the slices in flour. Shake off the excess.
- Heat the oil in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the slices in one layer. Add the slices and cook about 1 1/2 minutes on one side. Turn them over and cook about 1 1/2 minutes on the other side.
- Transfer the slices to a warm platter and wipe the skillet.
- Heat the butter until it starts to brown slightly. Add the capers and cook about 1 minute over relatively high heat. Add the tomatoes and cook about 30 seconds. Add the vinegar and stir. Pour the sauce over the liver and sprinkle with parsley.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 220, UnsaturatedFat 10 grams, Carbohydrate 7 grams, Fat 18 grams, Fiber 1 gram, Protein 9 grams, SaturatedFat 7 grams, Sodium 230 milligrams, Sugar 1 gram, TransFat 0 grams
SAUTEED CALF'S LIVER WITH ONIONS AND APPLES
Provided by Moira Hodgson
Categories dinner, one pot, main course
Time 1h
Yield 2 to 3 servings
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add onion and cook it slowly over low heat, uncovered, with garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. The onion should take about 45 minutes to become tender and almost caramelized. Do not let it burn.
- Meanwhile, saute apples in butter until lightly brown. Set aside and keep warm.
- Remove the onion from frying pan and keep warm. Add remaining olive oil (a little more if necessary) and saute liver quickly on both sides (about three minutes altogether) in order for it to be pink. Add the wine and over high heat scrape up the cooking juices. Put liver onto a serving dish with onions and top with apple. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 464, UnsaturatedFat 16 grams, Carbohydrate 27 grams, Fat 27 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 24 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 809 milligrams, Sugar 15 grams, TransFat 1 gram
SLICED CALF'S LIVER WITH GOLDEN ONIONS
Steps:
- Rinse liver to remove any traces of blood and discard membrane and any tough veins. Cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
- Cook onions in 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, 1 minute. Cover skillet and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm, covered.
- Pat half of liver slices dry and toss with salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté seasoned liver, shaking skillet and turning liver, until browned on both sides but still pink inside, about 2 minutes. Put cooked liver on top of onions and cover.
- Add water to skillet and deglaze, scraping up brown bits and boiling until liquid is slightly reduced. Pour sauce over cooked liver and wipe skillet clean. Sauté remaining liver as above, then add rest of liver with onions and parsley, tossing briefly.
Tips:
- Choose the right liver. Look for a calf's liver that is a deep red color and has a smooth texture. Avoid livers that are brown or have any spots or blemishes.
- Soak the liver in milk. This will help to remove any impurities and make the liver more tender.
- Dredge the liver in flour. This will help to brown the liver and prevent it from sticking to the pan.
- Cook the liver over medium-high heat. This will help to sear the liver and prevent it from becoming overcooked.
- Do not overcook the liver. The liver should be cooked just until it is pink in the center. Overcooked liver will be tough and dry.
- Serve the liver with a simple sauce. A simple sauce, such as a lemon-butter sauce or a red wine sauce, will help to enhance the flavor of the liver.
Conclusion:
Calf's liver is a delicious and versatile organ meat. It can be enjoyed in a variety of recipes, from simple sautéed liver to more complex dishes, such as liver and onions or liver pâté. When cooked properly, calf's liver is tender and flavorful. It is also a good source of protein, iron, and other nutrients. If you are looking for a new and exciting way to enjoy liver, give calf's liver a try. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy it.
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