“Timing is everything with Fegato Alla Veneziana. Cook it just a moment too long and the meat becomes tough and inedible,” writes Luca Dotti in his cookbook, Audrey at Home. “Preparation of this dish requires abrupt changes in temperature: a very low flame for the onions, a very high flame for the meat. (‘You can’t get far cooking without gas,’ my father warned.) In Switzerland, where electric stoves are the only option, my dad used two pans, one over a low heat for the onions and one over a high heat for searing the liver, before combining everything and quickly cooking until creamy.”
Dotti suggests serving the dish over mashed potatoes or — more traditionally — polenta.
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Servings: 4
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium white onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 pinch sugar
1 pound calf’s liver, thinly sliced
Splash sherry vinegar or lemon juice (optional)
In a large skillet over very low heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the onions and gently cook until translucent, but not browned. It will take about 15 minutes. Once they are ready, add a pinch of sugar and stir until they are caramelised, about another 5 minutes.
Heat a second skillet over high heat. Transfer the caramelised onions and then the liver to the second skillet, stir for a few minutes until the meat is seared but still juicy. If you like extra acidity, add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice and stir, scraping the bits at the bottom of the pan, and serve.
