Conference turris::cooks

    There's nothing I've tasted made with beef liver that I like, but
    calf's liver is usually more tender. A nice way to prepare it is -
    
    - Slice it in half the hard way (i.e., to get 2 pieces each half as
      thick); you need a really sharp chef's knife for this. 
    - Flour it.
    - Fry it quickly in butter at as high a temp as your butter will
      take without burning. It should still be a bit pink inside when
      it's done.
    
    Serve with german sausage, sauerkraut, and dijon mustard. And of course
    some veggies. Not a fabulous recipe, but it makes liver tolerable for
    me. 

    Of course there's good old chopped liver.  Broil the liver, fry
    an onion or 2 and hard boil an egg or 2.  Throw it all in a blender
    and blend til smooth.  A food grinder works better but you use what
    you gotta use.  A little meat juice (or broth) plus salt and pepper
    improves consistency and flavor.

    Sylvia has given the traditional chopped liver recipe.  I ended
    up modifying it from Mom's recipe.  
    
    First, Mom uses ONLY chicken livers.  They're more tender.  I've
    never made it with calves liver.
    
    Take a quantity of liver.  Put 1/4 cup of broth or water in a pan.
    Add a few cloves of garlic.  Chop up 1-2 onions.  If you're not
    dieting, add some fat/oil - chicken fat is best.  Heat to simmering.
    Add the liver.  Cover and simmer until the liver is done.  The
    simmering keeps the liver from getting as dry as broiling makes
    it.  Strain the mixture, keeping the broth reserved.  
    
    Mash the liver/onion.  If it's chicken liver you can mash it with a fork.
    Beef you might need a grinder or blender.  Add a chopped hard boiled
    egg or two.  Add 1-2 Tablespoons of Miracle Whip (or mayo, if you're
    into that - I think MW has better flavor and it's lower in saturated
    fat).  (this, by the way, is the part that Mom would blanch to see).
    Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add enough broth to make the mixture
    the consistency you want. (save the rest of the broth to dump into
    your next soup pot - I freeze broths of all sorts and use them to
    make all manners of soup).
    
    You can make this thick, for sandwiches, thinner for crackers, or
    of a dip consistency, for dipping chips into.  It is good with
    potato chips, believe it or not.
    
    I like the flavor of garlic with liver.  Tends to mellow out the
    liver a bit, and even my not-so-fond-of-liver SO will eat this
    chopped liver.  Of course, he is very fond of Miracle whip, too.
    
    --Louise

    
    Another (but similar) chopped chicken liver recipe:
    
    Fry up onions (and garlic if you want) in butter or oil and drain.
    Boil chicken livers until firm, I prefer this to frying - less mess, 
    drain.  After this liquid is cooled you can give it to the cats
    that have been under your feet due to the smell of chicken livers
    cooking.  Grind up livers, onions, 1 hard boiled egg, and a few
    saltines (cleans out the grinder), mix with mayo (Miracle Whip is
    for heathens :-) and chill.

    An all time favorite in the family, even those who hate chicken
    livers:
    
    Boil chicken livers until firm, drain and cool.  For each chicken
    liver (for the double ones, break into 2 pieces) place on end on
    a slice of bacon, put a slice of water chestnut on top, roll up
    in bacon and skewer with 2 toothpicks.  Fry until bacon is cooked,
    remember to turn them over, drain on paper towels.
    
    For 2 containers of chicken livers you will need one package bacon
    and one can sliced water chestnuts.  Roll up all the livers before
    you begin frying as that doesn't take long.  Take out toothpicks
    before eating (obviously), serve with rice.  These are also good
    appetizers.
   
    Sharon, one of the few liver lovers in the world
     
   
    
    

	1/4 cup butter, or margarine
	3 Tbls minces onion
	1 1/3 cups uncooked packaged pre-cooked rice
	1/2 lbs fresh or frozen chicken livers
	seasoned flour
	1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup.
	1/2 cup milk
	1 Tbl snipped parsley

	Preheat oven to 375 F.  In one Tbls of butter, saute onions
	until tender.  Add onion to rice; cook as label directed.
	Roll livers in seasoned flour (2 Tbls flour mixed with salt
	and pepper to taste).  Saute in remaining 3 Tbls of butter 
	until browned on all sides.  Combine all ingredients in a 
	1 1/2 quart casserole.  Bake uncovered 30 minutes...

	** This recipe is once again from the Norfolk County Hospital
	   cookbook, and I've not tried this recipe.. 

	** When I was a cook at the same hospital, we would bake our
	   liver (Beef... Calves was/is too expensive)..  By dredging
	   first in flour, then baking in a little bacon fat, the liver
	   stayed moist and flavorful, and didn't dry out like it did
	   when fried..  I showed my mom this trick one night, and that's
	   how she's been cooking it since...  Serve the liver with 
	   Bacon, Fried Onions, and Mashed Potatoes...  Great meal...

	Happy Cooking
	Charlie

    This is from a little cookbook called "Cooking in a Hurry" by
    Marguerite Patten.  I like it because it has some of my favorite
    food in it (not liver, really, but apples and onions).
    
    l lb. lamb's liver
    1/4 c. flour
    seasoning
    6 T. butter
    2 dessert applies
    1 large onion
    1-1/3 c. dry cider
    black and green olives
    
    Cut the liver into fingers, coat with flour and seasoning.
    Heat half the butter in a pan and fry the liver for a few
      minutes only, put aside.
    Heat the rest of the butter and fry rings of apple (cored
      but not peeled) and thinly sliced onion until golden color.
    Add cider and simmer until apple and onion are tender.
    Replace the liver and heat through.
    Serve in a border of rice. 
    Garnish with olives.
    Serves 4
    
    Variations:
    Creamed liver--Omit apples.  Use 2/3 c. cider or white wine and
    blend in 2/3 c. light cream just before serving.
    
    Paprika liver--Use sliced tomatoes instead of applies.  Blend 1-2
    tsp. paprika with flour and seasoning.  Use cider or white wine
    or stock.  Serve with cooked noodles.
    
    Nancy
    
    
    

    I noticed that some of these notes refer to a grinder - who, where
    and how much???  My mom has the kind that clamps onto the table
    edge, is a hand crank affair, and has a couple of different plates
    depending of the grade or size of final product you want.  This
    was great for making Jumbo, chicken salad, etc., and I haven't been
    able to replicate the texture with knives, blender or processor.  I
    also haven't been able to find such a thing at kitchen/gourmet stores;
    was planning on hitting flea markets this summer!
        
    Can anyone tell me the manufacturer or a source??

    Thanks,
    
    Terry

    
    
    Hand grinders are very readily available in the UK ( and France
    and probably most of Europe) but are usually known as 'mincers'
    (in the same way, ground meat is known as minced meat).
    
    One well-known manufacturer is Spong, and they retail for a few
    pounds. They can also be picked up second-hand for a few pennies
    at just about any rummage/yard sale (in the UK).
    
    If you can't find one here, and if you have any UK contacts who come
    over, ask them to bring you one, if not let me know on CECV03::SADLER
    (or VISHNU::SADLER) and I'll either get my next set of UK visitors to
    bring one, or failing that, I'll pick one up myself next time I go
    over. Let me know soon as I think a friend is over late next week. 
                                       
    
    Andy

    The brand mom and I use is a Mouli.  It's built with a hinged handle
    and a cylindrical grinder blade thingie in front.  The grinding
    cylinder has an attached handle.  I just spent a few minutes trying
    to describe the tool and its use, and am convinced that it's
    something you have to experience.  At any rate, the tool is fairly
    inexpensive, but the cheap imported imitations are not worth it
    - get a real Mouli if you want to save lots of frustration.
    
    --Louise

    If you are still interested in calves liver recipies, this one is
    just the best.
    
    Fry slices of garlic in olive oil, until just brown.
    Add some fresh sage and/or rosemary.
    Let this all fry for a while.
    Add calves liver and cook for about 4 minutes a side.
    The liver should be nicely browned, but pink inside.
    Take the liver out and add some white wine.
    Let this render down for a few minutes.
    Serve the liver with the sauce over the top.  
    Boiled rice goes well.
    
    Happy eating.
    
    Alex Nicholls
    

    Boy, this note doesn't get much traffic!  :-)
    
    I love liver, am I the only one?  Anyway, this isn't beef/calf liver,
    but I didn't want to start a new note.
    
    I made Duck for Christmas, and as a treat for myself, reserved the duck
    liver.  Having no clue what to do with it, I did the following, and it
    was great.
    
    Sliced an onion, sauted it till very tender and sweet in reserved duck
    fat;  Cut up the liver into (large) bite-size chunks, added it to the
    onions, and sauted them until they were done (just barely turned from
    red to pink in the middle).  Added a very small splash of red wine and
    a couple of tablespoons of sour cream (I used non-fat), stirred it till
    the sour cream "melted", and served the whole thing atop two pieces of
    toast.
    
    It was great, and if you don't happen to have had a duck recently, I
    would think it would work just as well with chicken or turkey livers,
    and olive oil or butter instead of duck fat.
    
    D!

    I'm not a huge liver fan, but that recipe sounds scrumptious!
    
    					andrew

>    Sliced an onion, sauted it till very tender and sweet in reserved duck
>    fat;

 Quite a departure from your typical cooking methods, eh, D!?

    > Quite a departure from your typical cooking methods, eh, D!?
    
    Not at all; I only used a teaspoon of duck fat, which is well within
    reasonable limits.  Notice the non-fat sour cream, too.  :-)
    
    I even made low-fat stuffing with my turkey this Christmas.  (I had
    [and made] three Christmas dinners; a chicken, a turkey and a duck,
    respectively.)
    
    >"smooth and potent"
    
    I'm glad to hear you are feeling up to snuff, Mark.
    
    D!

    "I'm not a huge liver fan, ..."
    
    That's alright, duck livers are pretty small.
    
    ed

>           <<< Note 1170.17 by NOVA::FISHER "US Patent 5225833" >>>
    
>    That's alright, duck livers are pretty small.
    
>    ed

   I've found that you can obtain authentic foie gras in this country
   from an outfit in New Jersey called d'Artagnan (1-800-DARTAGN)

   They use a breed of duck called a Moulard that apparently has
   a really huge liver, and I don't think they have to do any of that
   force-feeding stuff they do in France.

   I had some of their mousse de foie gras and an old bottle of sauternes
   for appetizer at Christmas dinner and let me tell you, it was really
   something!!  Not cheap though, and not for anyone on a low fat diet :-)
   Those duck livers have a large amount of fat.

   Anyhow, d'Artagnan has all kinds of prepared and fresh food -
   things like foie gras, venison, wild game birds, etc.

   - Jim

Because liver (all types) has been a relatively inexpensive cut of meat --
and good for you, we always had a lot of liver when I was growing up out West.

I used my grandmother's 'trick' in preparing liver to get my own family to eat
it --  and that is to cut the liver up in fine julienne slivers.  My grandmother
had a pair of shears she used to cut the meat, I just use a sharp knife.

You then prepare the liver however you like, dusted with flour and fried with
onions ... or whatever.  Prepared this way it seems to eliminate any unpleasant
associations there might be to a slab of liver.  People who marginally dislike
liver often find it quite good prepared this way.

Carel

>   They use a breed of duck called a Moulard that apparently has
>   a really huge liver, and I don't think they have to do any of that
>   force-feeding stuff they do in France.

 I don't think that you're right. I'm pretty sure a similar feeding
regimen is enforced; that's how the livers get to be so fat and large.

    This is a guess, but I think the Moulard IS the type forcefed in 
    France.
    
    A additional note on liver, while it IS said to contain a lot
    of good things nutritionally; latest recommendations is for 
    pregnant women to minimize or avoid intake of liver. Reason: 
    organ meats in general tend to absorb any poisons/chemicals/medications
    that the body of the animal ingests, so that these meats will 
    have a higher content of possibly toxic substances than regular
    animal flesh.
    
    Monica

    Liver is also high in cholesterol.
    
    Seems to me that, like anything else, it's something to eat in
    moderation.
    
    D! who has liver about 6 times a year, and isn't worried

    Then there's polar bear liver, which supposedly contains toxic levels
    of vitamin A (or D, or both)... [Not that one comes across polar bear
    liver in the market that often, but I've read that it should *not* be
    eaten in large quantities. Oh, and the rest of the polar bear isn't all
    that safe, either - they can have trichinosis, so polar bear meat,
    like pork, should be cooked sufficiently to kill any pests. Many Arctic
    explorers have suffered through failing to heed this precaution,
    although to do them justice, most of them only ate raw polar bear when
    they were starving. 
    
    This safety tip was brought to you by...]
    
    Re the force-feeding: seems that I read recently about a breed of duck
    being raised in the U.S. specifically to have a naturally fattier
    liver, such that foie gras could be made without having to go through
    quite so much work. (Don't know if that was the Moulard or not; these
    fleeting "something I read recently" factoids can be annoyingly hard to
    pin down.)
    
    -b

    Bon appetit, D!
    
              <<< Note 1170.22 by GOLLY::CARROLL "a work in progress" >>>
                   -< ....but then, I'm not pregnant either >-
    
    But I am 8-) 8-) 8-) .....
    
    Monica

  I spoke with somebody at d'Artagnan and they do actually force feed
  the ducks, though it is not as bad as it seems (and is surely not
  as unhumane as the treatment of mass-market poultry in any case.)

  However the Moulard is a very large duck, and this is one of
  the reasons for the size of the liver (it's nearly 2 pounds!)

  Even the breast meat of the Moulard is over 2 pounds.

  - Jim

    Well, you "not a big liver fan"s will be happy to know that the liver
    on my 5 lb "domestic duck" (species and family unspecified) weighed
    exactly 4 ounces.  And, according to Corrine T. Netzers encyclopedia of
    Food Values, that amount of duck liver has 160 calories, and not as
    much fat as the flesh of the duck.
    
    D!

Eeez zat ow zee Fronch pronounce 'Mallard' ?
~Sheridan~
:^)

    Many years ago I had a recipe for chicken livers that also used dijon
    mustard, white wine and some other stuff (no milk or cream thank
    goddess)  and was poured/mounded into brioche shells.  If anyone has 
    something similar, I would love to have it.  
    
    meg