Liver cake - general principles and methods of cooking
The liver is a useful product, just a storehouse of vitamins, iron, deficient amino acids, minerals. Not surprisingly, liver recipes are so popular. The easiest way to cook it is “a la naturel”. Fry slices over medium heat for a few minutes - ready, and it will be delicious, but very simple.
Culinary traditions of different countries have countless dishes from the liver, but we will focus on the liver cake - tender and airy, do not believe at first glance that such a wonderful dish is prepared from an ordinary liver. Cake is a layered construction of pancakes, missed with simple mayonnaise or filling. Decorate it with colored vegetables - beautiful, delicious. When cold, it tastes even better.
Liver cake - food preparation
This dish has many advantages, it does not have strict restrictions, any liver and in any form, chicken, beef, and turkey will suit. The goose liver is the most rare thing; the Chinese treat it as an exquisite delicacy, preparing the famous foie gras dish, although the French also credit the authorship of this dish to themselves. If you are lucky, and you got a kilogram of fresh goose liver, rather collect a family celebration - you’ll end up with not just a cake, but a real masterpiece of cooking.
But do not worry, if in the refrigerator you only have a piece of frozen beef or pork liver - the perfect liver cake will turn out of it. Buying frozen liver, it is useful to clarify the expiration date. Chilled liver should have a fresh, not too dark color and a slightly sweet, peculiar smell. The liver is a living filter, therefore, the older the animal, the more harmful substances accumulate.
A bitter taste is eliminated by soaking, best of all 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 for 3-4 minutes - and fold to a sieve, then cook as usual. You need to try to remove all the films and cut 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 in calories, and by adding mayonnaise, we get a nourishing and even more high-calorie meal. What is the way out of the situation find modern housewives? In our recipe, we add grated carrots to the soak, with a more delicate chicken liver, we get a cake with a reduced calorie content.
Ingredients: liver (half a kilo), onions (2 medium pieces), flour (2 spoons), eggs (2 pieces), carrots (2 pieces), mayonnaise, garlic.
Method of preparation
Prepare the 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 carrot 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. We decorate with finely chopped greens and egg chips.
Recipe 2: liver cake with mushrooms
If the traditional liver cake has become boring, you can make an original cake with mushrooms, which are perfectly combined with any liver - chicken, pork, beef. The taste will turn out excellent!
Ingredients: liver (800 grams), milk (250 grams), flour (200 g), eggs (3 pieces), salt, vegetable oil for frying. Stuffing: champignons (half a log.), Onions (2 heads), mayonnaise 1 pack.
Method of preparation
Fry the chopped onion in vegetable oil, chop the champignons and fry until the liquid evaporates, mix with the onion and fry for another 5-7 minutes, salt and pepper.
Cakes: chop the liver in a meat grinder, add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, mix, salt. We bake flat cakes, fry them from two sides. Form a cake, shifting cakes with mushrooms. The last layer is smeared with mayonnaise and sprinkle with pounded yolks. We decorate with vegetable flowers and leaves.
Recipe 3: Liver Cake with Cream and Lemon Juice
A more delicate product is obtained if you use whipped cream with lemon juice instead of mayonnaise. The liver itself is mixed with oatmeal, it will allow to absorb excess fat, and the cake will become soft and fluffy. Ingredients: fresh liver (500 - 700 gr.), Onions (2 pcs), oatmeal (rolled oats, 50 gr), eggs (3 pcs), some milk, salt, pepper. For the sauce: fatty cream (200 gr), garlic, lemon juice.
Method of preparation
Rinse fresh liver with boiling water, mince along with onion and oatmeal soaked in milk, add three eggs and mix thoroughly. Fry on pancake pans from two 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 appetizer is obtained from small liver portion cakes. They can decorate any table, and even a buffet table. For their formation use pancakes, three layers is enough. The options for the filling can also be different: vegetables, mushrooms. You can make a platter when the layers are coated 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 harm of the liver
Chicken liver contains a large amount of vitamin B12, it is necessary for the formation of red blood cells. Assign vitamin intake for anemia. Also included in the chicken liver is selenium, which has a positive effect on the thyroid gland. This product can be given to children from 6 months.
Beef liver contains more vitamins A and B, essential trace elements. Cow and veal liver is recommended for the prevention of diabetes and atherosclerosis, recovery from serious diseases. It contains vital folic acid, which increases immunity. It is also useful for children and adults.
Pork liver is slightly inferior in content of nutrients, but also useful.
It must be remembered that excessive use of this by-product can be harmful. Extractive substances contained in the liver can adversely affect the health of the elderly. Limit its use should be if elevated blood cholesterol. And most importantly, you can eat only the liver of healthy animals that were properly fed.
