Paleo Blue Plate Special with Liver and Root Vegetables

Ah, the venerable blue plate special! But, doesn’t everyone hate liver? Not if one knows how to cook it! This dish features an Andalusian treatment instead of the usual unimaginative onions for beef liver. The parsnips with sesame seed are magically contrasted by carrots in turmeric, and the liver’s deglazed pan provides a sweet-sour reduction that pulls it all together. This dish takes about 15 minutes to make, is very healthy, and, like all blue plate specials, it’s satisfying and inexpensive. Let’s get into the kitchen and discover it!

What You’ll Need

Beef Liver, Parsnip, and Carrot Blue Plate Special

Ingredient list, per person

• 1/3 pound beef liver (thyme, sea salt, pepper, whole cumin)
• 2/3 cup parsnip sliced in thick slices
• 2/3 cup carrot sliced medium on the diagonal (or some other interesting shape that’s different from the parsnips)
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp chopped almonds
• Many tbsp EVOO ;^)
• 2 tbsp Marsala

How to Make It

1. Marinate the liver in the refrigerator.
2. Slice the parsnip and carrot.
3. Chop the garlic and almonds.
4. I usually front this with a salad, so make the first course at this point.
5. Sauté the parsnip and carrots in individual pans, in olive oil on medium fires.
6. Heat the pan for the liver on a medium/high flame; I love using cast iron for this dish.
7. Check the roots; when they are nearing doneness, add sesame seed and salt to the parsnip and turmeric, ACV, and salt to the carrot. Add more oil as needed.
8. Add olive oil to the cast iron, followed by the garlic and almonds. Stir them, and add the liver.
9. Cook the liver 1-2 minutes max, turn, and cook the other side on a different place in the pan.
10. With a wooden spatula, move the garlic and almond to where liver side one cooked.
11. Kill the fire, remove the liver, and deglaze the pan with Marsala. Salt and pepper to taste.
12. Plate the roots, and top the liver with the pan’s deglazed goodness.

The Wrap

Beef Liver, Parsnip, and Carrot Blue Plate Special – Close-up

This dish graces my midday table quite often because it’s so tasty, healthy, and doesn’t break the bank, so the paleo frugal triple play! The trick is to cook the liver cold, so you can get a nice crust on it and still have it medium. I try to get thickly sliced to facilitate this. And you have to try parsnips with sesame seed; the latter’s bitterness plays beautiful with the former’s natural sweetness, and the turmeric’s subtle bitterness and vinegar adds depth to the carrots’ inherent sweetness.

This pairs wonderfully with Lapsong Souchong or a rosé or Pilsner.