Pan Fried Calf's Liver

From the one star french chef Patrick Asfaux

asfaux Veal 0 Comments

Prepare time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 5 minutes
Total time : 10 minutes

Calf liver is the best of the livers to pan fry. When you are going to buy some make sure to choose one that is lightly pink and firm. When your butcher is going to slice it for you keep an eye on these few things :
1) Make sure that he/she removes the skin around it.
2) Make sure that it is trimmed properly : that all the veins passages are removed.
3) In the case that, at home, you come across these little veins cavities take a sharp knife and remove them. This way you won't risk to chew on a piece of nerve when eating your liver.
4) When ordering a pan fried liver in a restaurant make sure to ask for it pink.

Calf liver is quite expensive. They are some cheaper options for this kind of offal such as heifer's liver or lamb's liver which are still excellent and much cheaper.

Pan fried calf's liver recipe for 2 :

2 slices calf's liver about 150g each
some butter and nut oil
1 tbs capers
few drops of balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper

Progression

1) Heat up your butter along with a drop of nut oil in a non-stick pan. When brown (not burnt!) start cooking your slices of liver* over a hight heat. Cook them a couple of minutes on each sides. Then season well with salt and pepper.
2) Arrange them straight away on two hot plates.
3) Place your frying pan back on your ring, add a good knob of butter, few drops of balsamic vinegar and the capers and carefully pour this sauce over the liver.

You can serve some mushrooms, mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes with your pan fried liver.

Do not hesitate to cook offals like calf's liver, it is very tasty and healthy too.

(*) Some chef would coat their slices of liver with some flour before pan frying them. Now, I think that if the meat is fresh and of good quality, it is better not to do it.