Deer Liver and Onions
This deer liver recipe pairs thick, buttermilk-soaked liver steaks seared to medium with crispy onion rings and a caramelized onion aioli.
Ingredients
For the Venison Liver
- 1 1 ½ - 2 pound venison liver cleaned
- 3 cups buttermilk, enough to cover the liver
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting
- salt and black pepper
- 2 cups high smoke point oil or rendered animal fat
Onion Aioli
- 1 medium red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ tsp fresh thyme, chopped
- ½ tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tbsp cooking oil (rendered animal fat, or olive oil)
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 dash hot sauce
Onion Rings:
- 3/4 cups all pupose flour
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¾ cup chilled sparkling water, or beer
- 1 ice cube
- 1 red or sweet onion cut into 1/4 inch rings and separated into individual rings
- High smoke point oil (for frying)
For Serving (Optional)
- toasted bread (sourdough, baguette, or burger bun)
- pickle slices (optional)
Instructions
Cut and Soak the venison Liver
- Cut the liver into four equal-sized pieces. They should resemble a petit steak.
- Soak liver pieces in the buttermilk for 2 to 4 hours. This removes excess blood and helps mellow the flavor. Make the onion aioli while the liver is soaking.
Make the Onion Aioli
- Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add oil and onions. Cook, stirring frequently, until browned and tender. Add a little more oil if the onions appear too dry.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Cook 2 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. Add vinegar, honey, and butter. Stir and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Transfer the onion mixture to a blender or food processor. Add mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and a dash of hot sauce. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Set aside.
Cook the Liver
- Discard the buttermilk and rinse lightly with cool water. Pat completely dry with paper towels.
- Season with salt and black pepper. Dust lightly with flour on all sides.
- Working in batches. Heat ¼ inch of oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the liver to the pan. Cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until the liver reaches a medium doneness.
- Set to the side and let the liver rest while you fry the onions.
Make the Onion Rings
- Heat oil in a small deep pot or cast-iron skillet to 325°F.
- In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and chilled sparkling water to make the tempura mix. Drop in one ice cube to keep the batter cold.
- Dip onion slices into the batter and fry in batches for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve
- Slice the liver into 1/4 in strips.
- Place the onion rings around the liver. Drizzle the caramelized onion aioli over the liver and onion rings. Season with fresh thyme and rosemary or chopped parsley.
- For the perfect bite, place all of the dish components on your fork and enjoy.
NOTES
- Soak the liver first. Cut it into thick steaks and soak it in buttermilk for 2 to 4 hours to pull out blood and mellow the flavor before cooking.
- Pat it very dry. After soaking, rinse lightly, dry it well with paper towels, season with salt and black pepper, and dust it lightly with flour so it sears instead of steams.
- Do not overcook it. Sear the liver over medium-high heat for about 3-4 minutes per side, just until medium doneness. Venison liver goes grainy and bitter fast if you push it too far.
- Cook in batches. Do not crowd the pan or you will lose the crust. Use a heavy skillet with about 1/4 inch of oil and fry only as much as fits comfortably at one time.
- Keep the onion batter cold. Mix the onion ring batter with chilled sparkling water or beer and keep it cold with an ice cube, then fry the onion rings at 325 F until golden brown.
- Make the aioli ahead. Cook the onions until browned and tender, finish with the vinegar, honey, butter, herbs, and garlic, then blend with mayo, Dijon, and hot sauce. It can sit while you cook the liver and onion rings.
- Serve it right away. Let the liver rest briefly, then slice it into strips and serve it hot with the onion rings and onion aioli. This recipe tastes best fresh and does not reheat well.
Nutrition
Calories: 947kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 53g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 638mg | Sodium: 791mg | Potassium: 872mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 38388IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 43mg | Iron: 14mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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