Calfs Liver With Sage Recipes

CALF'S LIVER WITH BACON AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Soak liver in milk in a bowl 20 minutes.
• While liver is soaking, cook bacon in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, turning over occasionally, until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain and reserve 2 1/2 tablespoons fat in skillet, transferring remaining fat to a small bowl.
• Cook onions with salt and pepper to taste in fat in skillet over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer onions to a bowl and add bacon. Keep warm, covered.
• Pat liver dry and discard milk. Stir together flour, salt, and pepper on a sheet of wax paper and dredge liver in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
• Add 1 1/2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat to skillet and heat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté liver, turning over once, until browned but still pink inside, about 4 minutes total. Serve liver topped with onions and bacon.

SAUTEED CALF'S LIVER

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.

CALVES' LIVER WITH STICKY ONION RELISH & PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• To make the relish, put the onions, juniper and thyme in a large saucepan, season with 1 tsp salt and a little pepper. Cook on a high heat for 10 mins, stirring regularly as the onions start to soften. Add the vinegar, sugar and 100ml water. Cover, boil for 5 mins, then uncover and simmer gently for 5 mins or until soft and with a little juice remaining. Meanwhile, remove large tubes, membrane or gristle from the liver. Pat dry with kitchen paper.
• Heat 1 tsp oil in a large frying pan and add the prosciutto. Fry for 1 min each side or until golden and crisp. Set aside on a plate and keep warm in a low oven.
• Add a splash more oil to the pan. Dust the liver slices in the flour and pat away any excess. Place the liver in the hot pan, scatter the sage in, then fry for 1 min each side if the liver is sliced thinly, longer if thicker. When the liver is golden and just pink in the middle, transfer it and the crisped sage to the plate in the oven.
• Return the pan to the hob and add the Marsala. Boil until syrupy. Let the butter melt into this sauce, season to taste, then set aside. If your sauce reduces too quickly, just add a little water. Plate up the liver, prosciutto, sage and warm onion relish, then spoon over the sauce. Serve with seasonal greens and potatoes, if you like.

SAGE & THYME CALVES' LIVER WITH WILD MUSHROOMS & PANCETTA

Steps:

• Put the pancetta in a large frying pan and cook until crisp, then lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Heat the oil in the pan. Sear the liver steaks for 1-2 mins each side - so they're just still pink in the middle - using half the butter towards the end to baste the meat. Remove the liver to a plate using the slotted spoon and leave to rest, covered with foil, for 10-15 mins.
• Add the chopped sage, thyme leaves, shallots, mushrooms and lemon zest to the pan. Fry on the highest heat for a few mins, then add the lemon juice and some seasoning. Cook for 3-5 mins until slightly saucy and the mushrooms are soft.
• Heat the remaining butter in your smallest saucepan until just foaming. Add the remaining whole sage leaves and fry for a few mins until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper with the pancetta. Sit the liver on toast, spoon over the mushroom mixture and scatter over the pancetta and crisp sage. Serve immediately.

CALF'S LIVER WITH SAGE

Steps:

• Remove any tough arteries from the liver. Slice it into very fine julienne strips. Dredge lightly in the flour, shaking off the excess.
• Heat the olive oil in a small nonstick skillet and add the onions. Toss and stir. Add salt and pepper. Cover and cook 10 minutes over medium heat without browning. The onions should be quite soft.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the liver pieces in one layer. Add the liver, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook over high heat 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the skillet and tossing the strips so they cook on all sides. Drain the liver in a colander.
• Heat the butter in the same skillet and, when it is bubbling and hot, add the liver and onions. Sprinkle with sage and cook, stirring, over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with Cognac and ignite it. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately over Parmesan cheese bread (see recipe).