44. CALVES' LIVER with BACON and CAPERS

serves 6


24 ounces sliced on an angle and halved calf’s liver
3 cups milk
4 ounces cut into 1-by-1/4-inch pieces slab bacon
1 quartered and thinly sliced medium onion
2 tablespoons capers
2 teaspoons sage
Coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons white wine
1/2 cup veal or chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups all- purpose flour, for dredging
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

In a large baking dish, add liver and milk. Let liver soak, covered in the refrigerator, for at least 2 hours and no more than 24 hours.

In a large cast-iron skillet, sauté bacon over medium-high heat until fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon from skillet. Drain off almost all the fat, and place skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add bacon back to skillet with capers, sage, salt, and pepper. Deglaze with wine, and cook for 2 minutes, loosening any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a spoon. Add stock, and cook until heated through. Pour in cream, and stir to combine.

Remove liver from milk, dredge liver in flour, and season with salt and pepper. In a cast-iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cook liver for 3 minutes on each side for medium rare. Serve liver topped with cream sauce and sprinkled with parsley.


courtesy of: Martha Stewart