If you like liver and onions, try this

I'm going to say something controversial. Some may stop reading this piece as soon as I mention what it is. Some will wonder why it has taken me so long to get to it. Maybe I need help.

I occasionally eat liver and onions.

I've been served poorly made portions and at the time I tell myself that I'll never again eat them. They were overcooked, burnt, onions overcooked, no flavor. One time the liver was so tough and knurled that I wondered how old the beast was it came from. Who would want to eat liver that way?

I learned that soaking beef liver in milk reduces the strong flavor of liver. At some point I'll try soaking and not soaking and see for myself.

Chicken livers have less of a liver flavor, and are higher in iron content, if you are interested in such things. I'd still cut the liver into thin pieces, so as to speed the cooking process.

Yes, you could cook liver by poaching it in a highly flavorful liquid. I recall my mom cooking chicken giblets, including the liver, in simmering water, seasoned with only salt and pepper. When done she gave the giblets to the cat. I recall trying that chicken liver once, thinking the flavor was rather mild. Cooking this way will keep you from burning it.

If I were to poach liver for dinner, I would probably cut it like I would for frying, but make up (or heat up) some stock to a simmer. I'd add additional seasonings to it, to make it very flavorful by itself, before gently slipping the liver into the hot liquid. Not just extra salt, but perhaps some aged balsamic vinegar, oyster sauce, or in a severe pinch one of those foil packets that come with ramen noodles, since I have a bunch of extra ones floating around.

I did a recipe on chard a few months ago, but I never vary from it as it tastes so good. I've included the recipe here again, as it's shown on the plate.

I bought one of those sealed tubes of polenta and have had it rolling around the fridge for a few weeks. When I was making up the liver, my wife suggested using it as a side dish, with its rather bland flavor a nice contrast to the highly-flavored liver.

I cut it open then cut half of it into 1/4-inch-thick slices. When the liver was done cooking, I added another knob of butter to the pan and turned up the heat to medium high. In the meantime I lightly seasoned both sides of the slices, then placed them into the hot butter. They started getting soft as they heated through, but the slices held their shape, even after flipping over. While you can see I didn't brown them much, I certainly will next time. They were so very tasty!

LIVER AND ONIONS

• 4 ounces liver, sliced very thin
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup sliced onion
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons seasoned salt

Place liver and milk in a bowl. Allow liver to steep in the milk for at least 30 minutes. In a frying pan on medium heat, melt the butter and then pour in the onion. In a bowl, mix together the flour and seasoned salt. Remove the liver from the milk, allow to drip for a moment, then dredge in the flour, flipping over and recoating as needed. Place in hot butter next to onion in frying pan. Repeat for remaining pieces of liver. Allow to cook until golden brown before flipping over, stirring onions as needed to allow them to brown all over. Remove when liver is cooked through and browned. This will depend on how thick it was cut in the first place.

SAVORY SWISS CHARD

• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Pinch of salt
• 2 bunches Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide pieces
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Melt butter and oil in heavy large pan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and salt. Sauté until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add chard; stir to coat. Cover and cook until tender (stirring occasionally) about 7 minutes. Sprinkle on lemon juice. Adjust seasonings before serving right away.