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January 2010
Calf’s Liver with Onions
Foie de Veau Lyonnaise
photo by France Ruffenach
Lyon and the
surrounding Lyonnais district have competed for centuries with
Paris to be first in food. Paris is chic, sophisticated, refined;
Lyon goes for hearty, accessible country cooking that is easy to
love. This recipe sums it up.
Serves 5 or 6
- 6 tablespoons/90
ml lard or vegetable oil
- 6 large onions
(about 2 1/2 pounds/1 kg total), sliced
- 2 garlic cloves,
chopped
- 2 teaspoons
sugar
- Salt and pepper
- 1 bouquet garni
(a tied bundle of sprigs of fresh thyme sprigs, a dried bay leaf
and sprigs of fresh parsley)
- 5 or 6 thick
slices calf's liver (about 1 1/2 pounds/675 g total)
- 3/4 cup/175 ml
chicken broth
Melt 4
tablespoons/60 ml of the lard in a frying pan over low heat. Stir
in the onions, garlic, sugar (the sugar helps the onions to brown
and caramelize), salt and pepper and tuck in the bouquet garni.
Press a piece of aluminum foil down on the onions to retain their
juices. Cover the pan and cook gently, stirring occasionally,
until the onions are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove the lid and
foil, turn up the heat to medium and continue cooking until the
onions are caramelized and golden brown, 8 to10 minutes longer.
Stir them often so they do not scorch. Discard the bouquet garni,
taste, and adjust the seasoning; set the onions aside and keep
warm. They may also be refrigerated for a couple of days and
reheated on top of the stove just before serving.
To finish: Pat the
slices of liver dry on paper towels and season them with salt and
pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons lard in another
frying pan over high heat. Add the liver and sauté until browned,
2 to 3 minutes. Turn and brown the other side, 1 to 2 minutes
longer. Do not let the liver overcook or it will be tough; it is
at its best pink in the center. Transfer the liver to 5 or 6
warmed plates and pile the onions on top.
Discard any excess fat from the
pan. Add the broth and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the
pan juices. Taste them for seasoning, spoon them over the liver,
and serve at once.
Excerpted from THE COUNTRY COOKING OF FRANCE
by Anne Willan, Chronicle Books, 2007.
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