Calf's liver in port and orange

Calf’s liver is the most delicately flavoured and sophisticated of all livers.  It can be cooked with the most minimal interventions.  Calf’s liver does, however, go extremely well with orange – hence this recipe.  A very special dish!

Preparation Time: 10 Mins

Cooking Time: 15 Mins

Total Time: 25 Mins

Ingredients

For 4 servings…

1 kg                Calf's liver  - cut into ½ cm slices          

  Flour             

  Pepper           

  Salt              

2 tsp               Mustard  - powder    

2 tbs               Butter       

1 tbs               Olive oil     

2                    Shallots  - chopped   

340 ml             Port          

280 ml             Orange juice  - fresh 

60 gms            Butter  - cut up        

To serve

1                    Avocado    

4 sprigs            Watercress

Method

Toss the liver slices in flour, seasoned with salt, pepper and mustard powder.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and the olive oil in a sauté pan and in this fry the shallots until translucent.  Increase the heat and place the liver in the pan.  Turn it over after 30 seconds and cook for another 30 seconds on the other side when the blood should rise.  Remove the liver from the pan and keep it warm.

Pour off any fat from the pan and deglaze with the port.  Boil it at a high heat until reduced by 2/3 to a thin syrup.  Now pour in the orange juice.  Boil until it begins to thicken.  Taste and season.

Off the heat, beat in the butter – a bit at a time.

Arrange the liver on plates, place on each a slice of avocado and spoon over the sauce.  On each plate arrange a sprig of watercress.

Wine recommendations

Deserves a decent red wine – preferable a Burgundy.

Conventional

     Burgundy

Interesting

     Hautes Côtes de Beaune

     Volnay

Special

     Beaune 1er cru