Check out this nutrient pan-seared calf liver recipe. A super tender melt-in-your-mouth liver, vibrant and slightly crunchy peppers and onions are cooked for a short time in some olive oil and butter. It’s a cheap way to cook up a meal loaded with protein and plenty of veggies.
Do you think you don’t like liver? Oh, how many times I’ve tried already to change your mind? Wink. The liver has always been one of my favourites as a child. It was a classic dish, just as comforting and delicious as your regular dinner. Please, give the liver a chance. Wink.
Of course, the type of liver, either chicken, rabbit, lamb, veal, beef or pork, determines how it is prepared. After all, beef liver and rabbit liver are worlds apart. Wink. However, the most frequent fried liver recipe has been leading beef liver. And it has been like that for generations. And, the thinner the slice the faster it cooks.
Compared to the dark pork liver, the calf’s liver is light in colour, tender and comes with a milder flavour. Since their taste is very fine, there is no need to soak them in milk. Btw, I never do that anyway. I love a bit of iron liver flavour.
How to prepare liver
I’ve read many times, that liver gets too hard due to cooking it too long. Well, yes. But, it is a matter of salt, too. If you season the liver with salt before cooking and then let it sit there, the salt will draw in water. Consequently, the liver will have no more moisture and when frying will get hard as a shoe sole. Wink.
Therefore, season your liver either seconds before searing it or, even better, afterwards. I like to sear it really quickly. A couple of minutes on each side, so that the outside has a lovely thin crust and the inside is soft and pink. Oh, yummy.
More, for the final check, make a resistance check. Simply by pressing with your finger; if the meat slightly gives in, but you can still feel the resistance and drops of juices appear, then the liver is done.
As I already said in my green curry chicken liver and a classic beef liver with onions recipe, liver provides many nutrients, such as proteins, vitamins B12, biotin and A and zink.
Additionally, pair them with onion, vegetables, mashed potatoes, a large green salad, grilled mushrooms or with a sunny-side-up egg. They taste fabulous.
Ingredients for 1-2 portions of pan-seared calf liver:
- olive oil
- 1/2 knob of butter (about 1 Tbsp)
- 200g calf liver
- 5-7 small peppers (orange, yellow, red) or 2 bell peppers
- 1 large red onion
- a couple of fresh basil leaves
- sea salt
To begin, trim and clean the liver (if necessary). Wash the peppers, cut them from the top and remove all of the white membranes and seeds. Cut them into rings. Peel the onion and cut it into rounds, too.
In a large frying pan, drizzle some olive oil. When hot, add the onion and peppers. Cook for around 5 minutes or until slightly tender. At this point, push the vegetables to a side, add the butter and after it melts, lay in the livers. Sear it well, for two minutes, flip it over and spoon some butter over them. Once it is well seared on both sides, remove it from the pan and allow it to rest for a minute.
Finally, arrange the peppers pan-seared calf liver onto a plate, sprinkle with some salt and black pepper and garnish with a couple of fresh basil leaves.
Enjoy.
