Last week I had the opportunity to chat with Chef Tony Maws and Chef Carl Dooley about one of Craigie on Main’s most exceptional special events, The Road Less Traveled, where the ingredients are more nose and tail
than anything in between. I have always preferred liver to steak but have never prepared it successfully and since we were talking about the pinnacle if offal cooking I thought maybe they could help me with offal 101. Chef Carl Dooley was kind enough to give me some tips.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
optional side
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 F
Heat a cast iron pan over medium high until pan is smoking slightly. The size if the pan matters so be sure each liver has a little space around it in the pan.
While the pan is hearing pat livers dry and season with salt and pepper.
Once the pan is hot, add duck fat or oil/butter mix.
Place livers in pan and then slide each one over a bit so they don’t stick to the pan then leave them in place for 2-3 minutes.
Turn livers over and cook for 2 more minutes.
If some of the liver is quite thick, 1 1/2 inches or so, place pan in oven for another 2 minutes or so to finish the cooking.
You can slice the apples while you wait and put them in each plate with a drizzle of vinaigrette and a sprinkle if dried oregano.
Carefully remove pan from oven with an oven mitt.
Remove livers from pan to a plate (preferably a warm one).
Let the pan cool slightly (I forgot and had a nice fire feature when I did this.). Carefully pour the Brandy into the pan over low heat and deglaze the pan (stir gently removing all the nice brown bits from the pan so they can be incorporated into
the sauce. Go to your liver plate and you will find a small pool of juices under the cooked livers. Add that into your sauce. Stir in a little Dijon mustard. If the sauce is too thick or there is too little add a little chicken stock or water (1-2 TBSP).
Slice the liver into nice thick slices. Drizzle with sauce.
Serve.
