Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking - Marcella Hazan [207]
Sautéed Calf’s Liver and Onions, Venetian Style
LIVER VENETIAN STYLE, fegato alla veneziana, is not just liver and onions. The onions are a necessary part of it, of course, but what really matters is that the liver be pale pink, creamy, and free of gristly, chewy tubes because it comes from a very young calf, that it be cut in even slices no thicker than ¼ inch, and that it be sautéed in a flash, at high heat. To cook the liver correctly, there should be no more than one layer of it at a time in the pan, because then it will stew, becoming stiff, bitter, and gray; it must be spread out in a broad pan, and cook so quickly at such fast heat that it has no time to lose any of its sweet juices.
There is one traditional feature of fegato alla veneziana it is possible to ignore without compromising the excellence of the dish. Venetian butchers cut the thin slices of liver into bite-size strips 1 1½ inches wide, and if you are having Venetians to dinner that is what you may want to do. I find it more practical to leave the slices whole; it makes them easier to turn when they are cooking, and it permits you to exercise more control to cook all the liver more uniformly.
For 6 servings
1½ pounds choice, pale pink calf’s liver, cut into slices no more than ¼ inch thick
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups onion sliced very, very thin
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
1. Remove any of the thin, stiff skin that may still be on the liver. It would shrink while cooking, and keep the liver from lying flat in the pan. If you find any large white gristly tubes, remove those also.
2. Choose your largest skillet or saute pan, put in the oil, the onion, and salt, and turn on the heat to medium low. Cook the onion for 20 minutes or more until it is completely limp and has become colored a nut brown.
3. Remove the onion from the skillet, using a slotted spoon or spatula, and set aside. Do not remove any oil. Turn the heat on to high, and when the oil is very hot, put in as many slices of liver as will fit loosely, without overlapping. They are not likely to fit in all at one time, so be prepared to do them in batches. The moment the liver loses its raw color, turn it, and cook for just a few seconds longer. Transfer the first batch when done to a warm plate, using a slotted spoon or spatula, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Repeat the procedure until all the slices are done, then put the liver back into the pan.
4. Quickly put the onion back in the pan while the heat is still on, turn the onion and liver over once completely, then transfer the entire contents of the pan to a serving platter, and serve at once.
Ahead-of-time note You can complete the recipe up to this point several hours in advance.
Breaded Calf’s Liver
BREADING IS ONE of the most desirable things you can do with liver that is sliced thin in the Italian style. It protects the liver’s precarious moisture, and the crisp coating contrasts very agreeably with the softness of young liver, when it is perfectly cooked.
For 6 servings
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1½ pounds choice, pale pink calf’s liver, cut into slices no more than ¼ inch thick
¾ cup fine, dry, unflavored bread crumbs, lightly toasted in the oven or in a skillet
Salt
Black pepper, ground fresh from the mill
Lemon wedges at table
1. Remove any of the thin, stiff skin that may still be on the liver. It would shrink while cooking, and keep the liver from lying flat in the pan. If you find any large white gristly tubes, remove those also.
2. Put the oil and butter in a large saute pan and turn on the heat to medium high. Turn the liver slices in the bread crumbs on both sides, pressing the liver against the crumbs with the palm of your hands. Shake off excess crumbs and as soon as the butter foam