0% Vermuoth with Apple, Sage, spicy Chestnut Cream and Calf's liver

Food, Styling & Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald

A walk in the park...

In my dog's favourite park, not far from us, there are 3 chestnut trees. Sometimes crowds of people gather there, tugging vigorously at the branches to then nimbly collect the spiky fruits from the ground. It is clearly autumn! I like to look at the bright green fruits, hanging, but I like to leave the picking up of these extremely unhandy things to others. I prefer the pre-cooked variety from the vegetable department. Simple and available all year round.

As a puree they are excellent and convince every sceptic, which could be a bit more difficult with the liver. It's not to everyone's taste. As an mediator, I offer the alcohol-free Vermouth Drink, which with its pleasant acidity and a little sweetness provides a fine counterbalance to the sharpness of the chestnut cream and also calms the liver's own flavour. This will convince any sceptic. Please give feedback!

The dish:

Ingredients for 4 people:

1 large white onion thinly sliced into rings.

4 sage leaves

150gr calf's liver (soaked in milk for at least 60 minutes)

0.5 L milk

200gr chestnuts vacuum packed, pre-cooked

400ml vegetable stock

100ml milk

Butter for frying

Soak the calf's liver in milk for 60 minutes. It is best to do this a day in advance.

Now prepare the spice mixture:

1 tsp Szechuan pepper, fennel seeds, cloves, 1 star anise - roast in a pan and mortar. And finely crush with 1 tsp cinnamon. 

Peel the onion and cut into thin rings, then slowly fry in butter until brown.

In the meantime, cook the chestnuts in the vegetable stock until soft. Puree, season with salt and spice mix spicy (1-2 pinches). Add the milk and stir until smooth. Keep warm.

Remove the calf's liver from the milk, dab dry and slowly fry in butter. 

The liver should still be slightly pink in the middle. Otherwise the liver will be too dry and tough.

Shortly before the end, fry the sage leaves and pour the sage butter over the liver. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the chestnut cream, cut the liver into two strips and serve.

Garnish with onions and a little sage.

Styling & Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald

The drink:

2 Granny Smith ( 1 for the juice, enough for about 2 drinks, 1 for the garnish).

10 Sage leaves ( 8 for the drink, 2 for the prawn).

Preparation:

5 CL juice of freshly squeezed Granny Smith

8 sage leaves fresh

5 CL Undone Vermouth

1 CL Palermo Rosso

1 tsp quince jelly

Styling & Photo: Oliver Schwarzwald