Calf's liver Berlin style (Kalbsleber Berliner Art)

Preparation

1. Cover the liver slices with milk in a dish and chill for about 30 minutes, which makes the liver milder.
2. Peel and quarter the potatoes and boil in salted water for about 25 minutes until soft. Drain, let the steam escape briefly and mash with a masher or press. Preheat the oven to 80 °C.
3. Bring the milk to the boil and stir it into the potatoes with the butter, seasoning with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Keep the mash warm in a metal bowl in the oven.
4. Dust the onion rings with flour and fry in hot oil until golden brown, season with salt and pepper and keep warm. Cut the apples into rings about 1 cm thick, sprinkle with lemon juice if you like, fry in butter until golden, sprinkle with the sugar and let them caramelise lightly.
5. Take the liver out of the milk, pat dry, cut in half and dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Fry in hot clarified butter over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, and only then season with salt and pepper, otherwise it turns tough.
6. Serve the liver with the onions, apple rings and mashed potato.

Drink with it

• Red wine · excellent match

  Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) or a soft Merlot

  Low tannin and ripe red fruit suit the tender liver; the acidity keeps the mash and butter fresh.

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• White wine · excellent match

  Riesling Spätlese, off-dry (feinherb)

  The apple notes in the Riesling meet the caramelised apple rings, and the residual sugar softens the slightly bitter taste of the liver.

• Dark beer · good match

  Dark lager

  Roasted malt picks up the fried onions, and the gentle malt sweetness goes with the apple.

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• Pale lager · good match

  Pils

  Bitter freshness and carbonation lift the clarified butter from the palate.

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