# Venetian Calves Liver & Onion



## Margi Cintrano (Mar 23, 2012)

In Veneto, Venetian Calves Liver is considered a traditional dish. It is often served with Polenta on a chilly day. Does any one here, have a Calves Liver Recipe they would like to share too ? 

Here is my family recipe for two:

4 tblsps E.V. olive oil
1 1/2 tblsps of sweet white onion 
1 tsp dried thyme crumbled
1 tsp ground dried sage
2 tblsps all purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 Calves liver steaks 1/2 inch thick
1 1/2 tblsp fresh parsley chopped 

1. heat 2 tblsp of olive oil in heavy large skillet
2. add onion and 1/2 tsp of thyme and 1/2 tsp of sage, and sauté until onion is golden and tender, 17 minutes - 18 minutes
3. transfer the onion to a bowl 
4. add remaining 1 tblsp to the skillet and add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Discard the garlic.
5. combine flour, remaining thyme and sage in a bowl
6. season liver fillets and pat liver fillets dry 
7. dredge the liver in the flour mixture, toss to coat
8. add butter to the olive oil in the skillet and
sauté the liver fillets, brown no more than 2 mins or 3 mins a side, for pink and dress with parsley ... 

Serve with a nice red wine from Italia,

Kind regards.
Margi. Cintrano


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## buckytom (Mar 23, 2012)

i like the idea of adding herbs to the onions and to the flour, margi.

for me, calve's liver is all about the bacon, lol.

that is i like to fry some bacon, set it aside and pour off half of the fat, reserving it.
then you sweat some onions in the fat still in the pan. set the onions aside with the bacon.

using the reserved bacon fat, the floured calf liver steaks (seasoned with s&p and sweet hungarian paprika) are fried until medium rare.
the liver is plated topped with bacon and onions.


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## Addie (Mar 23, 2012)

I have always been in a quandry as to what herbs to use with liver. Now I know. Thank you. And for me, you can never have too much garlic. I love the stuff.


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## SherryDAmore (Mar 23, 2012)

Boy, this sounds good!!  Thanks for posting.


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## GLC (Mar 23, 2012)

Made it tonight. The herbs give a very nice depth to the normally one dimensional flavor of liver.


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## Addie (Mar 23, 2012)

I have already added liver to my grocery shopping list. I love liver.


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## vitauta (Mar 24, 2012)

just say liver and onions to me and i'm there.  so i wonder why liver is such an infrequent crave of mine....


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## Addie (Mar 24, 2012)

vitauta said:


> just say liver and onions to me and i'm there. so i wonder why liver is such an infrequent crave of mine....


 
My daughter knows how much I love it and will buy it for me when she is out shopping. She remembers it more often than I do. Then when I do cook it, I cook the whole package instead of just one piece. I eat one piece, then pick, pick, pick for the rest of the night until it is all gone.


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## Margi Cintrano (Mar 24, 2012)

*Wow ! Thanks for all the lovely Messages Liver Fans*

Firstly, it is 11am, Saturday ... 

Truly, yes, this is quite a nice meat dish for a change of pace and it is actually an excellent iron source and Vit B´s ... 

Buckytom: I appreciate the bacon tip ... 

Addie: I am a Garlic-holic too ... I use the garlic to flavor the olive oil to sauté the Liver filets ... however, yes, you can combine the onion with the garlic too ! Good idea ! 

Thanks for all the other posts too ... Pleased to hear that it is on your lists to try ... 

Thanks again. Have a nice day. 
Margi.


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## lyndalou (Mar 24, 2012)

I make it very much like Bucky T. does. I will definitely use th herbs the way you do, Margi My husband loves liver with onion and bacon .


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## Claire (Mar 24, 2012)

Oh, dear, Margi, you have me going now.  I LOVE liver.  One of my all time favorites is one I had in the "old town" part of Orlando, Florida (Winter Park) on Park ave.  It was fried chicken livers on a bed of frisee with a balsamic dressing.  I do my best to reproduce that once in awhile.  Your recipe sounds much like what our favorite Greek restauranteurs do and it is one of my favorite dishes.  Liver lovers unite!!


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## vitauta (Mar 24, 2012)

speaking of chicken livers, man, chopped chicken liver to die for when i had jewish friends in my life back in maryland--oooh my god....


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## Margi Cintrano (Mar 24, 2012)

Addie, thanks so much dear ... I am sure u shall have a wonderful lunch !
Margi. Stay well, and keep me posted ...


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## Margi Cintrano (Mar 24, 2012)

Dear Claire, 

The funniest thing to me is that I cannot believe, that such a simple Italian lunch, has me receiving all these posts from members -- how they love Calves Liver !!! I never realised that so many people like this cut of meat ... 
Tell me about: chicken livers with Balsamic and, are they similar to a Paté ? 

In Spain, there is a famous dish called: HIGADOS A LA JEREZ which is Chicken Livers in Brandy from Jerez De La Frontera, Cadiz on Southwest coast ... 

In Veneto - Italy, the recipe I posted is how it is served throughout Venice, and the neighboring towns of Veneto ... 

I had forgotten my paternal grandmom used to prepare it for me --- I like it deep pink ... It is very reasonably priced, and so thought for a change of pace --- and to post it too ! 

Orlando Downtown ... Amazing ... what we find, when least expecting it ...

Greeks ? another fave cuisine !!! 

I had never eaten liver in Greece ... Italians have always ... 


Kindest regards.
Margaux


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## Addie (Mar 24, 2012)

My daughter called me this morning and asked me if there was anything I needed while she was grocery shopping. She must have been reading my mind. I will be having liver for supper. I feel my appetite coming back.

When I lived in Tacoma I used to cook up a mess of chicken livers for my MIL and a plate full of liver for me with mashed potatoes and a side. And of course plenty of sauteed onions for both of us.

Thanks Margi for the seasoning idea. I am no longer at a loss as to what to use.


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## Margi Cintrano (Mar 24, 2012)

Lynda,

Thanks so much ... Yes, do serve ur hubby my Venetian Calves Liver recipe and a stunner oak aged red wine or if he prefers an Chilled Beer / Ale ... I am sure he shall enjoy ... 

Have nice wkend.
Margi.


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