Serves 4 to 6
Notes
If you like liver as much as I do (I enjoy it at least once a month), you’ll love this. Liver veneziana—liver Venetian-style—the way my mother made it, is particularly delicious, with everything cooked together in one pan. Liver is sensitive to temperature and gets overcooked easily, so in this version,
I sauté the traditional onions and some mushrooms with the vinegar and wine and all the Venetian flavors. Then I sear the liver separately, forming a crust and leaving the inside tender. I combine the two, mixing just to combine the flavors, and serve. This was a favorite of my father and my mother, so we ate it often. My father loved it served with polenta, and I still prefer it that way. I sometimes prepare chicken livers the same way; just make sure you remove all the ligaments and fat, and cook the liver lobes whole.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 large white onions, thinly sliced
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms (button, cremini, oyster, shiitake, chanterelle, etc.), thickly sliced
- 6 fresh bay leaves
- Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Vegetable oil, for frying the liver
- 1 1/2 pounds calf’s liver, sliced 1/2 inch thick, cut into 3-inch pieces
- Freshly ground black pepper
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Directions
Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Cook and stir until soft but without color, about 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon salt, and stir to combine. Cover, and cook until the mushrooms give up their juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat to medium high, and cook until the juices have reduced away and the mushrooms are wilted, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the vinegar and wine and bring to a simmer. Cook until the liquid is slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and whisk in the butter. Keep this mixture warm while you cook the liver.
Heat a thin film of vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium- high heat. Season the liver with 11/2 teaspoons salt and several grinds of pepper. Spread some flour on a plate. Lightly dredge the liver in the flour, and add it to the hot oil. Cook until the pieces are nicely browned but not totally cooked through, about 1 minute per side. Remove them to a platter. Top with the onion mixture, and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.
