De-Liverance!

Fegato di Tacchino con Spinaci e Polenta
Turkey Liver with Spinach and Polenta

Yes- it had been a while and I had been craving a nice juicy dish of liver all week- so today I finally decided to do something about it! I know that a lot of people out there don't like liver, but I would hazard a guess that they simply haven't tried GOOD liver yet! Like this here simple little dish!

So in order to make it, I prepared the polenta this morning, to give it a chance to cool and set all day, ready for me to cut it into strips for serving. I prepared the polenta by frying a little very finely chopped onion and garlic in a little olive oil and then deglazing with a splash of white wine. I then added a bay leaf, the polenta, some salt and pepper and for the actual cooking liquid, a light chicken broth. Simmer slowly for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally and then pour out onto a tray to cool.

The spinach was simply sauteed with a little garlic and lemon juice... so there is not much to tell you there! As for the polenta, it was now nice and firm after 5-6 hrs, so I popped it into a non-stick frying pan with a little olive oil and fried it SLOWLY and at not too high a temperature. I sprinkled it with freshly chopped rosemary and some orange and lemon zest that was diced very, very finely, some salt and pepper and a hint of nutmeg.

So now- back to the liver! I trimmed it and removed any fat or gristle and then dipped it in flour. I then heated a non-stick pan and added a mix of olive oil and butter- not too much mind- and then started to fry the liver at a moderate heat, dipping it in flour first to help it brown nicely. I added a finely sliced shallot and continued stirring and then when everything was nicely browned, deglazed the pan with a good shot of cognac! The only thing to remember is not to salt the liver until it done!

I kept stirring, and after a few minutes, I added a half cup of water- this soon boils away, but it transforms the flour on the surface of the chicken liver, into a light gravy. At this point I added some Herbs de Provence, a little lemon juice and a nice shot of balsamic vinegar. With a sprinkle of orange zest... I was ready to serve- so it was time to open the bottle of pinot noir and prepare myself for this wonderful meal! And it wasn't half bad!