Paper Chef 37 - CALF'S LIVER WITH CHESTNUTS AND CAPERS BRAISED IN BALSAMIC VINEGAR SERVED WITH PARMESAN AND OREGANO BISCUITS

Last day for Paper Chef and here's my entry. The ingredients for this month have left many perplexed, what do you do with liver (preferably calf's), chestnuts, cheese and oregano? They might sound difficult to combine and probably many backed off because of the liver but I think they were brilliant! First of all because they make me think and second because it is through challenges like this that I can discover wonderful combinations you'd never ever thought of trying if it wasn't for the Paper Chef! Long Live the Paper Chef and Owen who came up with it in the first place! I would never have tried to combine liver, with chestnuts, capers and balsamic vinegar if it hadn't been for Terry of Taste Adventures, last month's winner of the Paper Chef, who drew three random ingredients and added one of her own choice-Thank You!



So what did I make? After discarding some other ideas I went for making parmesan and oregano biscuits and then I braised small cubes of calf's liver in balsamic vinegar together with capers and chopped chestnuts. I especially recommend the latter as I really enjoyed the combination between sweet and salt, acid and non acid.





CALF'S LIVER WITH CHESTNUTS AND CAPERS BRAISED IN BALSAMIC VINEGAR SERVED WITH PARMESAN AND OREGANO BISCUITS

biscuits:
parmesan cheese, freshly grated
oregano, fresh or dried

calf's liver
chestnuts, cooked. I used dried ones that I boiled in water until soft
capers in salt
balsamic vinegar
extra-virgin olive oil

- Mix grated parmesan with oregano.
- Take out a non-stick pan and heat it up. Sprinkle enough parmesan to make a small biscuit, not too thick, nor too thin. You might need make some trial versions before getting it right. Let in cook until it has hardened and then carefully turn them over. When they are ready, put them on parchment paper to cool down.
- Boil the dried chestnuts until soft. If you have fresh ones you can eithe boil them or roast them, I'd go for the latter personally.
- Put the capers in water for a little while to de-salt them a bit.
- Cut the liver into small cubes, chop the chestnuts and the capers.
- Heat up a little olive oil and add the liver, chestnuts and capers. Fry for about a minute and then add balsamic vinegar.
- Braise for 2-3 minutes and serve with the parmesan biscuits, not necessarily in the way I did for the photos because I think the strong taste of parmesan just have to be an accent and not too dominating.