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lambs liver with balsamic vinegar – a random recipe

26 February 2012 by Dominic Franks

i’m not one to shy away from a bit of offal… I think growing up in a Jewish household where every part of the chicken was used from the liver to the neck we didn’t really have a choice over wether we liked it… it was a given… and my tastes haven’t changed although i’m sure somewhere in the Hebrew teachings it says something about not eating liver with bacon… but I guess this is something i’ll have to deal with when I eventually have to deal with it…

… anyway, i can’t imagine it’s something Giorgio Locatelli ever had to worry about… his book, Made In Italy was my first Random Recipes book 12 months ago… it is a stunning book, packed with charming stories and evocative recipes of his life in Italy… the photography is enviable and each recipe i’ve cooked from the book has worked like a charm and won many applauds… its a very fine combination of style and homespun chic… well worth the read…

lambs liver with balsamic vinegar
the original recipe calls for calves liver but I had a heck of a time finding any (I know!) so I opted for lambs liver… which were incredibly inexpensive, in fact this whole meal cost just under £2 as I had been given a beautiful bottle of balsamic vinegar for a belated Christmas present last week… thrifty genius if you ask me!

a large handful of nero cavalo or black cabbage, or failing that Savoy cabbage
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
8 pieces of lambs liver
80g butter
200ml balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons chopped nuts or pine nuts – toasted
3 tablespoons sultanas – soaked in warm water

– steam the cabbage for 3-4 minutes, then set aside

– heat an oven proof pan until medium hot and then saute the liver in a little sunflower oil and seal until crispy on both sides

– turn down the heat, add half the butter and put the pan into a pre-heated oven (200C) for a minute or so, depending on the thickness of the liver and how pink you like them

– take the pan out of the oven and set aside the liver

– place the pan on the heat and add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and reduce until it becomes syrupy add the butter, pine nuts and sultanas, then turn the heat down and put the livers back in

– heat up another pan and gently warm through the steamed cabbage in a little olive oil

– on a warm plate lay the liver onto the cabbage and spoon over the sauce… truly rich, dark, sweet and sticky… divine!

eat and of course, enjoy!

… have you done your Random Recipes yet… last day tomorrow… roundup on Tuesday

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Filed Under: Everything else Tagged With: liver, random recipes

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Comments

  1. Victoria says

    26 February 2012 at 3:53 pm

    i would love this….but i am not brave enough to cook liver myself…if you cooked it for me though…i'd gobble it up! Happy Birthday RR! x

  2. Nicola @41feasts says

    26 February 2012 at 4:11 pm

    Sourcing liver is really unpredictable where I am – sometimes the butchers have loads, other times I traipse from one to another. I've taken to bulk buying and keep my own little liver mountain in the freezer. This sounds very tasty – a hefty amount of balsamic vinegar and a lot of butter – yum!

    Making my random recipe tomorrow night – cutting it fine as always…

    Nicola

  3. Mark Willis says

    26 February 2012 at 4:56 pm

    I'm not a fan of liver unless it is made into a smooth pate. something to do with having been forced to eat liver as tough as old boots and full of “pipes” when I was at boarding school…
    Still, I expect your dish was worlds away from that. I suspect that cooking it very briefly, like you suggest, is pretty important.

  4. Wally B says

    26 February 2012 at 5:21 pm

    I've just become the recipient of 3lbs of lamb's liver. This will definately be on the menu very soon. My wife won't eat liver, so I'll have to eat it all myself:)

  5. The KitchenMaid says

    26 February 2012 at 5:45 pm

    Oh! I love lamb's liver, but I get a bit squeamish about preparing it due to its placenta-like qualities. This sounds amazing though, perhaps I could get a butcher to cut it up for me…

  6. Janice says

    26 February 2012 at 5:48 pm

    I love lambs liver, unfortunately my husband is not a fan so it is only if he is away, which is rare, that I cook it. What a great recipe, I can just imagine how the sweet sticky balsamic reduction would be with that liver – mmmmmm

  7. StephenC says

    26 February 2012 at 5:53 pm

    You Brits are gradually turning me into an Anglophile. I so enjoy learning the terms you have that are different from those of we colonists. I'm so glad to have found you, Dom.

  8. Gardeningbren says

    26 February 2012 at 6:12 pm

    I adore lambs liver but have never prepared it this way. Next time.

    You know how you can taste a recipe just by reading it…this recipe sure comes close… syrupy indeed yummm.

    Thanks for the book reference.

  9. Karen S Booth says

    26 February 2012 at 8:29 pm

    I DO love the sound and look of this Dom, but I am not an offal lover…..I know, I know……wimpish and silly, but the only way I like it is terrines and pâtés! This DOES look good however and I like the Balsamic vinegar as an ingredient.

  10. Javelin Warrior says

    26 February 2012 at 9:02 pm

    I had to Google black cabbage because I'd never heard of it and it seems it's related to kale? Anyway, very interesting dish although I've never had much love for liver 😉

  11. Jean says

    26 February 2012 at 9:33 pm

    I love liver. This looks interesting….makes a change from my boring old liver and bacon recipe !!
    Mind you, I have just prepared a month's worth of dog food which included liver, heart and kidney and could only tackle it with my marigols on !!

  12. Magnolia Verandah says

    26 February 2012 at 10:32 pm

    Dom, I haven't cooked liver for ages as I am the only that likes it in my house – but this has tempted to buy some just for me! Love it.

  13. Angela says

    26 February 2012 at 11:54 pm

    Hmmm…I haven't tried out liver on my family. I wonder what they would think of this. I think it looks yummy.

  14. Susan Lindquist says

    27 February 2012 at 1:08 am

    It's funny. As I was reading the post, I was thinking … “If only he would cook it for me. Handling raw liver …. eeewww!” looks and sounds so wonderful … but Victoria's comment hit the nail on the head!

    Excellent random recipe! Here's to Year 2!

  15. From Beyond My Kitchen Window says

    27 February 2012 at 2:47 am

    I'm a chicken liver fan, so I think I'd have to substitute the lamb for them. Balsamic is great with livers.

  16. Dianne@Maids says

    27 February 2012 at 7:17 am

    I seldom eat liver, maybe i'll try this later for our dinner for tonight. hope my husband love this.
    still browsing the other post. thank you for sharing :0

  17. Shu Han says

    27 February 2012 at 9:10 am

    I actually really do love liver. haha. come on, growing up in a chinese household?, what else can you expect? this looks just delicious to me!

  18. Jenn says

    27 February 2012 at 12:35 pm

    Wow, I never thought lambs liver would look and sound so appealing to me!! It sounds delicious!

  19. Phil in the Kitchen says

    27 February 2012 at 11:06 pm

    This is a great combination of flavours. I'd love this. Sadly I'm the only one in the house that would.

  20. Neesie says

    28 February 2012 at 3:04 am

    We're definite fan's of Balsamic in our house.
    Rich, dark, sweet and sticky what more could you want?
    I drool just looking at the photo ;D

  21. Jane@ohio says

    28 February 2012 at 6:11 am

    im not a liver lover. i really wonder what it taste like. anyway great post and nice recipe.
    looking forward for the next post dear.

  22. Carole says

    29 February 2012 at 1:42 am

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

  23. debby emadian says

    29 February 2012 at 7:34 am

    I always think that liver is one of those marmite foods…Me? I love it. I remember school dinner time when liver was actually on the menu with onion gravy…no one else like it and I was in my element I could have as much as I wanted!!

    I don't eat red meat now but the perfect thing is chicken livers… I can still have them with lovely onion gravy…and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar…I'll definitely be trying out your gravy recipe next time though…oh and cavalo nero…thanks Dom…

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My name is Dominic, I am a cook, food writer and creative event producer. I write the food blog Dom In The Kitchen and also write a monthly recipe column for Lincolnshire Life Magazine and Good Taste Magazine. I also run creative event production company The Persuaders, producing global events for brands since 1997. I am based both in the small village of Belleau in Lincolnshire and the smaller village of London! Read More…

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