Liver with Onions & Apples
Submitted by rayster2002
Pan-fried beef liver with onion rings and apple slices, smothered in a dark pan gravy with hot paprika. Old-fashioned liver and onions with a sweet apple twist.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
40 minThis is liver and onions done right, with sliced apples frying alongside the onion rings to add a natural sweetness that softens liver’s strong mineral flavor. The liver gets a thorough flour coating patted in firmly, then fries slowly in oil while the onions and apples caramelize on the sides of the skillet. Low and slow is how you keep liver tender instead of rubbery.
The pan gravy is built old-school, straight from the drippings. After all the liver, onions, and apples come out, butter goes into the skillet and gets browned. Leftover flour from the dredging gets stirred in to make a roux, then hot water goes in half a cup at a time, scraping up all those dark, crusty bits stuck to the bottom. That fond is concentrated flavor, and it’s what turns plain gravy into something seriously rich.
Hot paprika and a dash of hot sauce give the gravy a spicy kick. The recipe says it should be “a little spicy-hot," and that heat works perfectly against the sweet onions and apples. Serve over rice or mashed potatoes and smother everything in that dark gravy.
Chef Tips
- Pat the flour into the liver firmly on both sides. A light dusting won’t stick and will fall off in the pan, leaving the liver bare.
- Fry slowly and poke the liver with a needle or thin skewer to help it cook evenly through the thickest parts.
- Cook in two batches of two slices each. Crowding the skillet drops the temperature and steams the liver instead of frying it.
- Add the hot water gradually and stir well after each addition. Dumping it all in at once creates a lumpy, watery mess.
Variations
- Use calves’ liver for a milder, more tender result if beef liver’s intensity is too strong.
- Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the gravy for a tangy counterpoint to the sweetness.
- Try pears instead of apples for a softer, more delicate fruit component.
Ingredients
Directions
Wash liver good and roll in flour and pat flour in good.
Peel onions and slice into rings.
Peel apples, core and slice not to thin. In a large, heavy skillet heat the oil anf put in two pieces of liver and the onion and apple on the sides with the liver.
Fry slowly, turning often, poking liver with needle to get done evenly.
Take out liver and keep warm, add the other two slices and keep on frying.
When all is done, keep liver and onoin-apple mix apart and keep them warm.
Put the butter into pan .let melt and brown, add the rest of the flour and stir, sraping the skillet, until all is dark brown; add hot water, half a cup at a time, stirring good and let come to a boil after each adding of water. When all is in add the spices to taste, it should be a little spicy -hot. Serve with a slice of liver, a fourth of the onion-apple mix on the side, add some hot rice or mashed potatoes and smother with the gravy.
Comments
