Liver cake - general principles and methods of preparation
The liver is a useful product, just a storehouse of vitamins, iron, deficient amino acids, and minerals. Not surprisingly, liver recipes are so popular. The easiest way to cook it is "a la naturel". Fry the slices over medium heat, a few minutes - ready, and it will be tasty, but very easy.
The culinary traditions of different countries have countless dishes from the liver, but we will focus on the liver cake - soft and airy, you will not believe at first glance what a wonderful dish is made from ordinary liver. The cake is a puff pastry made of pancakes, coated with plain mayonnaise or filling. Decorate it with colored vegetables - beautiful, appetizing. Cold it tastes even better.
Liver cake - product preparation
This dish has many advantages, it has no strict restrictions, any liver and in any form, chicken, beef, turkey, will do. The goose liver is the rarest, the Chinese treat it as an exquisite delicacy, preparing the famous foie gras dish, although the French also attribute the authorship of this dish to themselves. If you are lucky, and you got a kilogram of fresh goose liver, rather gather a family celebration - it will turn out not just a cake, but a real culinary masterpiece.
But don’t worry, if in the refrigerator you just have a slice of frozen beef or pork liver - a wonderful liver cake will come out of it. When buying a frozen liver, it is worthwhile to clarify the expiration date. Chilled liver should have a fresh, not too dark color and a slightly sweet, specific smell. The liver is a living filter, therefore, the older the animal, the more accumulates harmful substances.
The bitter taste is eliminated by soaking, best in milk. It is enough to soak it for an hour or two. Softness can be achieved by scalding with boiling water. You can dip the pieces in boiling water, 3-4 minutes - and lay on a sieve, then cook as usual. You need to try to remove all the films and cut out the ducts (to prevent bile from entering the dish).
Liver cake - the best recipes
Recipe 1: Reduced Calorie Liver Cake
The liver itself is high-calorie, and adding mayonnaise, we get a satisfying and even more high-calorie dish. What is the way out of the situation of modern housewives? In our recipe, we will add grated carrots to the impregnation, with a more tender chicken liver we will get a cake with reduced calorie content.
Ingredients: liver (half a kilo), onions (2 medium pieces), flour (2 tablespoons), eggs (2 pieces), carrots (2 pieces), mayonnaise, garlic.
Cooking method
We prepare a mixture for pancakes: grind the liver and onions in a meat grinder, add eggs and flour, salt and pepper. Stuffing: a mixture of carrots with mayonnaise and garlic. Grate boiled carrots on the smallest grater. Fry pancakes. Three four minutes - and the pancake needs to be turned over. It is better to take two spatulas for this, so that the cake does not break, because it is already soft and juicy. Garnish with finely chopped greens and egg crumbs.
Recipe 2: Liver Cake with Mushrooms
If the traditional liver cake is boring, you can prepare an original cake with mushrooms, which go well with any liver - chicken, pork, beef. The taste will be excellent!
Ingredients: liver (800 grams), milk (250 grams), flour (200 grams), eggs (3 pcs), salt, vegetable oil for frying. Filling: champignons (half a liter), onions (2 heads), 1 pack mayonnaise.
Cooking method
Fry chopped onion in vegetable oil, chop the mushrooms and fry until the liquid evaporates, mix with the onion and fry for another 5-7 minutes, salt, and pepper.
Cakes: grind the liver in a meat grinder, add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, mix, salt. Bake cakes, fry them on both sides. We will form a cake, shifting the cakes with mushrooms. Grease the last layer with mayonnaise and sprinkle with chopped yolks. Decorate with vegetable flowers and leaves.
Recipe 3: Liver Cake with Cream and Lemon Juice
A more tender product is obtained by using whipped cream with lemon juice instead of mayonnaise. Mix the liver itself with oatmeal, this will absorb excess fat, and the cake will become soft and fluffy.
Ingredients: fresh liver (500 - 700 gr.), onions (2 pcs), oatmeal (hercules, 50 gr), eggs (3 pcs), a little milk, salt, pepper. For the sauce: heavy cream (200 gr), garlic, lemon juice.
Cooking method
Pour fresh liver over boiling water, mince with onion and oatmeal soaked in milk, add three eggs and mix thoroughly. We fry on pancake pans on both sides. Sauce: whip cream with garlic and lemon juice, white and black pepper. Give half an hour to infuse and sprinkle with greens on top.
Liver cake - tips from experienced chefs
The most unsurpassed snack is obtained from small liver portioned cakes. They can decorate any table, and even a buffet table. For their formation, use pancakes, three layers is quite enough. Options for the filling can also be different: vegetables, mushrooms. You can make assortments when the layers are smeared with different fillings. The main thing is that they are juicy and in harmony with the taste of the liver.
A few words about the benefits and dangers of the liver
The chicken liver contains a large amount of vitamin B12, it is necessary for the formation of red blood cells. I prescribe vitamin intake for anemia. Also, chicken contains selenium, which positively affects the thyroid gland. This product can be given to children from 6 months.
Beef liver contains more vitamins A and group B, vital trace elements. Cow and calf liver is recommended for the prevention of diabetes and atherosclerosis, recovery from serious illnesses. It contains vital folic acid that boosts immunity. It is also useful for children and adults.
Pork liver is slightly inferior in the content of useful substances, but also useful.
It must be remembered that excessive consumption of this offal can be harmful. Extractive substances found in the liver can negatively affect the health of older people. Limit its use should be if the blood cholesterol is increased. And most importantly, you can eat only the liver of healthy animals that are fed correctly.
Comments
And how to check it in a purchased liver, I wonder?
