Venetian Calf Liver Recipes

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.

VENETIAN CALF'S LIVER WITH ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy 8 or 10 inch skillet.
• Add onions and cook over moderate heat, for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Stir in the sage, cook 2-3 minutes longer, until the onions are limp and lightly colored.
• Set aside, off heat.
• Pat the liver strips dry with paper towels and season them with salt and a few grindings of pepper.
• In another large heavy skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until a light haze forms over it.
• Drop in the liver strips and saute them, turning frequently, for 2 or 3 minutes, or until they are lightly browned on all sides.
• Stir in the onions and cook with the liver for 1 or 2 minutes.
• Transfer the liver and onions to a heated platter.
• Immediately pour the white wine vinegar into the skillet and deglaze.
• Pour the sauce over the liver and onions and sprinkle with the chopped parsely.
• Serve immediately.

VENETIAN CALF LIVER AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onions, 1/2 teaspoon thyme and 1/2 teaspoon sage and sauté until onion is tender and brown, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer to bowl.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet.
• Add garlic and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
• Discard garlic.
• Combine flour, remaining 1/2 teaspoon thyme and remaining 1/2 teaspoon sage in bowl.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Pat liver dry and add to flour mixture and toss to coat.
• Add butter to garlic oil and melt over medium-high heat.
• Add liver and stir until beginning to brown on outside but still pink inside, about 3 minutes.
• Add onions and sauté until liver is just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in parsley.

CALF LIVER AND ONIONS LOUISIANA-STYLE

Steps:

• Wash liver, put in a zip bag with milk and put in the ice box for an hour or so.
• Remove liver from bag, season with salt and pepper. Dust the liver with flour in a pan and leave them in the flour.
• In a medium sized skillet, sauté the onions in butter until slightly brown and remove and drain Drain any leftover butter in a cup. While doing this, dust the liver once more and set on a plate. Let the liver rest a few minutes.
• Add the cooking oil to the same pan and heat until ready to fry inches Put two or three pieces of liver in the oil leaving a 1" space between each. Keep the oil at a good temperature to maintain frying. Fry liver on each side until golden brown and remove. You are not trying to fully cook it, just brown it.
• Take the liver out, put it a plate and cover it with foil. Pour the oil out into the the cup with the butter in it to make about 1/4 cup; pour this back in the pan and put on a medium fire. Add enough flour to make a small medium brown roux. Add chicken stock (or water) enough to make the roux a medium thickness. Be sure to boil this and sprinkle some garlic powder in it.
• Remove roux and in the same pan return liver, onions (regular and green) and roux. Cook on medium fire for about 15 minutes (stirring every 5 minutes) or so or until liver is done but not overdone.

LIVER WITH ONIONS AND VINEGAR (FEGATO ALLA VENEZIANA)

Steps:

• Trim liver of veins and membranes. Cut on the diagonal into wide, 1/4-inch slices.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet. Fry the onions in the butter over medium heat, stirring often, until nicely browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar. Set aside.
• Dredge liver pieces with seasoned flour, and shake off excess. In a second large skillet, melt the clarified butter over high heat, and when very hot, drop in the liver pieces, a few at a time. Fry 30 seconds or so on each side. Remove to a serving dish. Liver should still be raw in the center.
• When all liver pieces have been fried, place the onions in the skillet containing the liver juices and reheat the onions thoroughly, stirring often. Add the liver to the onions, toss briefly to heat through, and turn out onto the serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

CALVES LIVER AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Cut liver in small serving size pieces.
• Salt and pepper pieces.
• In a 12 inch skillet heat vegetable oil.
• Make sure it is good and hot (I use medium high).
• Lightly roll pieces in flour.
• Saute in hot oil till brown on one side, turn and brown the other side.
• About 4 minutes per side.
• Remove from skillet and keep warm.
• Add onions to skillet and fry about 5 minutes till crisp tender.
• Put onions over liver and serve.

VENETIAN CALF LIVER

Steps:

• Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
• Add onion, garlic and sage; sauté 10 minutes.
• Remove onion with a slotted spoon; set aside.
• Pat liver slices dry with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Place in hot skillet and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until liver is no longer red; remove and set aside.
• Add wine to skillet and boil 2 minutes, stirring to deglaze skillet.
• Return liver and onions to skillet and mix gently.
• Spoon sauce over liver and heat through.
• Sprinkle with parsley.
• Serve over brown rice.