in spite of those vegan and vegetarian postings, I’m not ready yet to abandon meat, especially liver, which particularly healthy and tasty as far as meat comes!

The Russians do have a gastronomy, and a very homey one at that in spite of all these platters of caviar, and smoked salmon washed down with vodka or Georgia (former Russian Republic!) wine!

Here is a simple recipe to keep you warm on these increasingly colder months of the winter:

Russian-style Liver suteed with potatoes!

INGREDIENTS: For 2 people

-Potatoes: 2 (may Queen, or potatoes that fry well)
-Unsalted butter (A): 20 g
-Salt and black pepper: a little of each

-Liver: 200 g (pork or veal according to your priorities. sliced)
-Onions: 2
-Wine vinegar: 1 tablespoon
-Basalmico vinegar: 1 tablespoon
-Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
-Unsalted butter (B): 30 g
-Unsalted butter (C): 20 g
-Light flour, salt, black pepper: a little of each
-Parsley: a little (finely chopped)
-Garlic: a little (finely chopped)
-Balck pepper: to taste (coarsely ground)

RECIPE:

-Peel onions, cut in half, cut across and along and chop into 7~8 mm wide pieces.
Transfer into an oven dish. Add a little salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil (not included in the ingredients). Mix well. Wrap it closed with some cellophane paper.
Cook inside microwave oven for 5~7 minutes at 600 W.
This step will help the onions to sweeten up and will improve the overall taste.

-Peel the potatoes. Boil them as they are. Once cooked, cut them into 1 cm thick slices.
In a frypan melt unsalted butter (A), fry the potatoes lightly into it. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer in a separate hot dish for keeping.

-in the same frypan melt unsalted butter (b) and fry the onions in it until they get lightly brown and sweet. Transfer into a separate hot dish for keeping.

-Coat the sliced liver with a little salt, black pepper and flour. In the same frypan melt unsalted butter (C) with the olive oil and saute the liver in it.

-Once the liver slices are properly cooked on both sides, add the blsamico vinegar and saute for a while to allow the balsamico vinegar to penetrate into the liver. Transfer into a separate dish.

-In the same frypan transfer the onions back and fry them into the juices laying at the bottom of your frypan. Saute them to let them absorb those juices. Add wine vinegar and sautee long enough for the final touch.

-On a serving plate, first lay the sliced potatoes.
Lay the onions over the potatoes.
Lay the liver over the onions.
Think of presentation when arranging them on the plate. Look at pic above!
Season the whole by sprinkling the chopped leeks, chopped garlic and coarsely ground black pepper.

Serve with dark beer!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Bread + Butter, Comestilblog, Greedy Girl, Bouchon For 2, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Mangantayon, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles, Lexi, Culinary Musings, Eats and Everything, Bite Me New England, Heather Sweet, Warren Bobrow, 5 Star Foodie, Frank Fariello, Oyster Culture, Ramendo, Alchemist Chef, Ochikeron, Mrs. Lavendula, The Gipsy Chef, Spirited Miu Flavor, Wheeling Gourmet, Chef de Plunge, The Lacquer Spoon, Octopuspie, Pegasus Legend, Gourmet Fury

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The Japanese have their own version for Gratin called Doria which is prepared with rice, especially leftover rice.
It is said it was first invented by an Italian family with the name of Doria who tried to represent the Italian flag (with tomatoes, cucumbers and chicken) in this recipe they first cooked in Paris.
It was first prepared in Japan in Yokohoma by a French cuisine chef from Switzerland at the New Grand Hotel in 1925!

It has become a mainstay in Japan in homes and restaurants.
The variations are endless, but here is the basic recipe:

Japanese Gratin: Doria

RECIPE:
I leave the kinds and weights for the ingredients to your creative imagination!

First make a bechamel sauce:
Use the smae volume of flour and butter.
Melt butter in a large saucepan.
Once the butter is melted, add flour and stir until you obtain a smooth mixture.
Add milk (warm will make things easier) cup by cup and stir well. make as much as you want. Keep stirring until you obtain a thick (the thicker, the better) bechamel sauce. Season with salt (easy on that!), pepper and nutmeg.
Set aside and let cool completely.

Slice onion thin and fry in a little oil until soft and just before colouring.
Scoop out and set aside.
You may of course add such vegetables as sweet pimentoes, etc.

The Japanese make their doria with chicken usually, but you may of course replace it any white meat, fish or seafood.
Cut the chicken into small pieces and fry them in same oil until crispy.
Scoop out and set aside.

Use leftover steamed rice.
Fry it with salt (careful on that one again!), pepper and tomato sauce (ketchup is fine, tomato puree is even better).
Season with other spices if you wish to.
Add onions and chicken and stir fry until all ingredients are well mixed.

Butter the inside of an oven dish.
Pour the whole fried rice inside.

Cover the rice with as much as bechamel sauce as you wish.
Add a generous layer of cheese of your choice.
The original recipe called for parmegiano, but cheaper cheese did not exist then!

Bake inside oven as you would do for any other gratin.
Keep in mind the colour you wish to attain.
It might be a good idea to serve them in individual dishes as they come out very hot!
Can be frozen until cooking them in an oven!

The same recipe with boiled macaroni!

RECOMMENDED RELATED SITES:
Bread + Butter, Comestilblog, Greedy Girl, Bouchon For 2, Zoy Zhang, Hungry Neko, Mangantayon, Elinluv Tidbit Corner, Maison de Christina, Chrys Niles, Lexi, Culinary Musings, Eats and Everything, Bite Me New England, Heather Sweet, Warren Bobrow, 5 Star Foodie, Frank Fariello, Oyster Culture, Ramendo, Alchemist Chef, Ochikeron, Mrs. Lavendula, The Gipsy Chef

Please check the new postings at:
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Salmon and broad beans can be found on the plates and tables at homes and restaurants almost everywhere in the World.
Here is an easy recipe I found in my notes. It was both inspired by Japanese and French Cuisines, but definitely with a twist of the latter:

Parmentier de Saumon et Puree de Feves/Salmon Parmentier and Broad beans Hash!

INGREDIENTS:For 4 persons

-Salmon fillet (skin peeled off): 400 g
-Broad beans (peeled): 500 g
-Unsalted Butter 50g
-Hazlenut powder: 4 tablespoons
-Seasme oil: a few drops
-Ground pepper and fine salt

RECIPE:

-Preheat oven to 210 degrees Celsius
Put the salmon on an oven dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Cover a piece of foil paper and bake for 15 minutes

-During that time Heat a big pan full of salte water and cook the broad beans for 5~6 minutes.
Take care not to overcook!

-Drain the broad n\beans and mash them roughly witha fork inside a bowl. Add a few dops of seasme opil and a little pepper and mix.

-Fiil 4 glass cups with the broad beans has, then add the cooked salmon (after having brol\ken it into large flakes).

-Sprinkle the hazlenut powder over the top. Add a dollop of butteron top.
Grill it in the oven so as to gratine it for a few minutes.

NOTE: Keep a few whole broad beans and mix them with the hash for better effect!

-Accompany it with a wine from my home:: Rully white (Cote Chalonnaise)!

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