Foie de veau Chambertin

     Chambertin is an area of fine vineyards in the Burgundy region.  Many years ago, I worked with an American French chef  who named this entree after the Chambertin region.  This entree is a chef's creation that really has very little to do with the Chambertin Burgundy region.
     Foie de veau Chambertin is not a traditional French recipe at all.  I could have changed the title of this recipe to what this recipe should really be called, but I decided to use this recipe as an example how some chefs use a fancy name, like Chambertin, in a recipe title, yet the recipe itself really has very little to do with the region it was named after.  You might say that this recipe is really just a fancy plate of liver and onions.
     Onions straws, crispy onions and haystack onions are all the same thing.  They add flavor and crunch to whatever they are served with.  Instead of limp soggy onions or caramelized julienne onions with liver, crispy onions add some excitement and crunch!
     There is an old traditional French foie de veau bourguignon recipe that this foie de veau Chambertin entree seems to be based on.  The key difference is a bourguignon garnish is called for in the traditional recipe.  There are a few definitions of a bourguignon garnish that can be very basic or very refined.  Usually a bourguignon garnish consists of sauteed lardons, pearl onions, mushrooms and chopped parsley.
     When I first cooked this liver and crispy onion recipe as a sous chef, I took a liking to it, because I do like liver and onions!  The rich sauce adds to the appeal.
     Veal liver is more tender than calves liver, but when no veal liver is available, calves liver will do.  Veal or calves liver can be cooked to any temperature that is preferred.  Veal liver does not have to be cooked well done like shoe leather!  Beef liver does have much too strong of a flavor for this recipe.

     Glace Viande Recipe:
     Place 4 pounds of veal bones, lamb bones, beef bones, pork bones and meat scraps into a roasting pan.
     Add 5 ounces of tomato paste.
     Add 8 to 10 ounces of rustic un-peeled mirepoix of carrot, celery and onion.
     Stir the mixture together.
     Roast the mixture in a 350 degree oven, till the bones and vegetables caramelize to a deep brown color.  (Stir the ingredients occasionally.)
     Place the roasted bones and mirepoix into a stock pot.
     Deglaze the roast pan with water and add the jus to the stock pot.
     Cover the bones with water and bring to a boil over high heat.
     Reduce the temperature to medium low heat and simmer for 4 hours.
     Add water occasionally to cover the bones.
     Strain the stock through a fine sieve.
     Discard the bones and vegetables.
     Skim off the grease.
     Reduce the meat stock by a little more than half.  The glace viande should have a very thin consistency.
     This is a very rich unseasoned glace viande that can be frozen in portions for later use.
     When the glace viande is used in recipes, it will be reduced to a slightly thicker consistency to order.  
  
     Crispy Onions Recipe:
     Cut 1/2 of large onion into paper thin slices.
     Place the onion slices in a mixing bowl.
     Season the onion slices with sea salt and black pepper.
     Add 2 pinches of cayenne pepper. 
     Allow the onion slices to sweat for 5 minutes.
     Add just enough flour to coat the onions.
     Toss the ingredients together, till the onions are coated with the flour.
     Heat 4" of vegetable frying oil in a high sided pot to 360 degrees.
     Sprinkle the coated onions into the hot oil.
     After the foaming ceases and the onions begin to fry, gently toss the onions in the oil with a fryer net, so they fry evenly.
     Fry the onions, till they become golden in color.
     Use a fryer net to place the crispy onions on a dry towel to drain off any excess grease.
     Keep the crispy onions warm on a stove top.

     Foie de veau Chambertin Recipe:
     Dredge two thin slices of veal liver in flour.  An 8 ounce portion of veal liver is good for this recipe.
     Heat a saute pan over medium heat.
     Add 2 tablespoons of blended olive oil.
     Add 2 pats of unsalted butter.
     Add the floured veal liver.
     Season the liver with sea salt and white pepper.
     Saute till the flour on the liver slices, just starts to become crisp.
     Add 1/4 teaspoon of minced shallot.
     Add 1 whole garlic clove.
     When the liver is cooked almost to the desired state of doneness, remove the liver pieces from the pan and set them aside on a dish.
     Keep the liver warm on a stove top, till the sauce is made
     Pour the excess grease out of the pan.
     Add 4 ounces of burgundy region red wine.
     Add 2 ounces of cassis liquor.
     Deglaze the pan by scraping the fond that is stuck to the pan with a whisk.
     Add 2 pinches of thyme.
     Simmer and reduce, till the wine becomes reduced to nearly a thin syrup consistency.
     Add 1/2 cup of rich beef stock.
     Add 3 tablespoons of glace viande.
     Simmer and reduce the sauce a second time, till it becomes a thin glace consistency.
     Pour the sauce through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.
     Add 2 unsalted butter pats to the hot glace sauce, while whisking.  (monte au beurre)
     Place the liver slices on a plate.
     Spoon the chambertin glace sauce over and around the liver.
     Mound the crispy onions on top of the center of the liver.
     Serve with a vegetable and potato of your choice.
  
     This is a delicious liver entree!  The texture and flavor of the crispy onions and the rich sauce is nice with the tender liver.  If you like veal liver, this recipe is a must try!  Yum!  ...  Shawna