CALF’S LIVER WITH A HERB CRUST

SERVES 6

45 MINUTES PREPARATION TIME

1 HOUR CHILLING TIME

20 MINUTES COOKING TIME

50 g (1¾ oz) stale bread, coarsely chopped

250 g (9 oz/1 cup) butter, softened

1 bunch of parsley, leaves picked

1 bunch of tarragon, leaves picked

1 French shallot, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

700 g (1 lb 9 oz) kipfler (fingerling) potatoes, scrubbed and dried

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 bay leaves

3 garlic cloves

6 bulb spring onions (scallions), trimmed and halved lengthways

100 g (3½ oz) smoked lardons, cut into 1 cm (½ inch) thick strips (see note )

6 thick slices of calf’s liver (about 750 g/1 lb 10 oz)

THE HERB CRUST

Finely chop the bread,150 g (5½ oz) of the butter and the parsley and tarragon leaves in a food processor to make a good thick paste. Stir in the shallot by hand and season with salt and pepper. Roll out the herb paste between two sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 5 mm (¼ inch). Transfer to a baking tray and chill for 1 hour.

THE POTATOES

Cook the potatoes in boiling water for 8 minutes, or until almost tender. Rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Cut in half.

Put 50 g (1¾ oz) of the butter, the olive oil, bay leaves, garlic, spring onions, lardons and potato halves in a large frying pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, over a low heat, for 3 minutes, or until the butter has melted. Cover with foil to keep warm.

THE LIVER

Preheat the oven grill (broiler) to medium–high. Put the remaining butter in a large clean frying pan and place over a medium–high heat until melted. Add the slices of liver and cook for 2 minutes on each side, until browned. Arrange the liver on a baking tray. Cover each slice with the herb crust and place under the grill for 3 minutes, or until the herb crust has softened. Serve immediately, accompanied by the potatoes.

NOTE

If you can’t get smoked lardons, speck or pancetta work equally well.