Liver. A much reviled organ here in America where it is habitually over-cooked into a grey, mealy tastelessness. In Europe, they know how to do calf’s liver correctly. It is served pink and a rasher of bacon is not obligatory but is pleasant. In Paris, a thick hunk of calf’s liver is often sauced in butter and sherry vinegar. HG has also enjoyed liver in Venice: Fegato (liver) Veneziano consists of very thin slices of liver cooked quickly in a hot pan with onions. Goes nicely with a mound of white polenta. HG/BSK never cook calf’s liver at home. Admittedly, it is not a health food and BSK takes great pains in keeping HG alive. But, once in a while, an exception can be made and BSK makes that exception with delightful chicken livers. BSK sautes them beautifully so they are brown and crisp on the outside and pink inside. A very nice lunch consists of these chicken livers with mushrooms, onions and softly scrambled, creamy eggs. HG likes to cook chicken livers in a sauce of sauteed mushrooms, onions, garlic, olive oil and tomatoes which is served over fettucine. HG believes this was a favorite dish of the great tenor, Enrico Caruso.
As a kid I loved liver. Mom sliced it thin, floured it, and pan-fried it to medium. At least once a week it was also one of two entrees at Brownwood, TX, High School. It was a featured staple at Luby’s and Furr’s Cafeterias (do they exist, still?). After 30 years in pathology I’m not sure how I’d face off against your recipes.
BTW, human liver on the dissection board looks exactly like calf/beef liver. Chain of being, eh?
DWH
Your Mom sounds like my kind of cook. Of course, if liver was served at my Bronx school there would have been a revolution. Have always wondered how pathologists would react to a menu of rare meat, liver, tripe, kidneys, brains, etc. Am pleased to know that my pal Dave puts medical science to the side when confronted with robust delicacies.