12407 Calf's Liver as Prepared in the Valley of Ossau Serves 4 or 6 Wed Aug 06 01:06:19 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 12:24:43 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12407 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:24:43 GMT It was the late roland casau, chef at Chez Pierre in Pau, who first showed me how the Ossalois (people from the valley of Ossau) prepare calf's liver. I was immediately enchanted; the recipe was intriguing. It uses a variant on the technique of confit to create a juicy liver with silky-smooth texture.

In cities like Bordeaux and Bayonne, large chunks of calf's liver are often roasted with delicious results. But the Ossalois apply two intermediate steps, first marinating the liver to enhance its flavor, then poaching it in a liquid that Casau called la mère. This expression—literally “the mother”—is used to describe a poaching liquor used over and over for many different items, picking up the flavor of each and imparting it to the next. It is the classic poaching liquor for foie gras in the Quercy, where I met a woman who used the same liquor for cooking pig's feet for over a year. In the Landes, Pepette Arbulo used the word to describe the base stock of her garbure, in which she poached her stuffed cabbage and her duck breasts.

The mère in this case is a stock filled with pork rinds that have rendered out all their fat and flavor. The liver is tightly wrapped in cheesecloth, allowing the flavors of the stock to enter the flesh but still holding the fragile meat together. The large amount of fat in the stock keeps the texture of the liver silky—the way poultry and pork cook in a confit. After poaching, the liver is allowed to firm up by cooling down. Then it is unwrapped, lightly rubbed with oil, and set in a very hot oven to brown just before serving. This is excellent with Sautéed Peppers in the Style of Béarn (page 353) or with Red Wine–Cooked Onions (page 348).

Begin a day in advance.

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  • Have the butcher remove the thin membrane surrounding the liver, or do it yourself with a thin-bladed knife. Cut out all pieces of fat and any hard parts. Soak the liver in the milk overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Meanwhile, remove the rind from the fatback and reserve. Cut some of the fatback into 12 strips about 4 inches long and ½ inch wide. Sprinkle the strips with pepper and 1 teaspoon of the chopped parsley. Wrap and refrigerate. Cut the remaining fatback and the rind into ½-inch dice.
  • In a medium saucepan, combine the diced fatback and rind with the chicken stock. Simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, until the rind and fat are totally rendered. Let cool, then refrigerate the fatty stock until chilled. (The recipe can be prepared ahead to this point up to 1 day in advance.)
  • The next morning, remove the liver from the milk, rinse, and dry thoroughly. Use a larding needle to lard the liver with the chilled strips of fat at equal intervals (see Note at right). Marinate the liver in a mixture of the onion, thyme, celery leaves, bay leaf, Quatre Épices, and ¼ cup of the olive oil in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours.
  • About 1 hour before serving, bring the fatty stock to a bare simmer; it should measure 206°F. Tightly wrap the liver in a single layer of cheesecloth and slip into the stock. Simmer for 25 minutes—or exactly 10 minutes to the pound—for rosy liver. The temperature of the poaching liquid must remain at 206°F; use a thermometer to keep an eye on this. If the liver is allowed to boil, it will harden and overcook. Carefully remove the liver to a wire rack; unwrap and thoroughly pat dry.
  • About 25 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 550°F. Grease a shallow 10-inch oval gratin or other flameproof baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and scatter the ham over the bottom. Brush the “bone-dry” liver with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and place it in the dish. Roast in the hot oven until the outside is brown and crisp, 6 minutes. Transfer the liver to a carving board.
  • Scrape the ham bits onto a warmed platter. Quickly deglaze the baking dish with the vinegar or verjus, then add ½ cup water and set over very low heat.
  • Carve the liver into 12 slices. Arrange the slices over the ham on the platter. Scatter the garlic and parsley hachis on top. Season lightly with fleur de sel and pepper. Spoon the pan juices over the liver. Serve at once.
  • Follow manufacturer's instructions for larding needle technique. I use a bœuf à la mode larding needle. If you do not have a larding needle, drill holes with a skewer in the meat and push cold strips into the incisions. Be sure the fat is well chilled and firm for easier handling.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main 2½ pounds center-cut calf's liver, in one piece

    ]]>     2 cups milk

    ]]>     ½ pound fresh or salted fatback

    ]]>     Freshly ground pepper

    ]]>     1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

    ]]>     4 cups unsalted chicken stock (storebought or homemade—page 405)

    ]]>     ½ onion, thinly sliced

    ]]>     1 sprig of fresh thyme

    ]]>     1 tablespoon chopped celery leaves

    ]]>     ½ imported bay leaf

    ]]>     ¼ teaspoon Quatre Épices (page 231)

    ]]>     ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

    ]]>     ½ pound thinly sliced jambon de Bayonne, prosciutto, or Serrano ham, cut into slivers

    ]]>     ¼ cup wine vinegar or verjus

    ]]>     3 tablespoons hachis: 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh garlic mixed with 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

    ]]>     Fleur de sel

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