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Liver and Bacon Balls
To each pound boiled beef liver add 1/2 lb. cooked bacon, chopped fine with the liver. Season, form into balls or croquettes, dip in egg, then in crumbs, and fry in hot deep fat. Serve with creamed potatoes, garnish with chopped parsley.
A straightforward croquette built from already-cooked meat, so the frying is only about crust and heat-through. The main decisions are texture and binding, neither of which the original addresses.
- BindingAs written there is nothing to hold the balls together but the fat in the bacon. A few tablespoons of thick white sauce, mashed potato or beaten egg worked into the mixture per pound will keep them from breaking apart in the fat.
- Don't overcook the liverBoil the liver only until just firm and no longer pink at the centre, then chop. Liver simmered until grey turns grainy and bitter, and it gets a second heating in the fryer.
- Chop, don't puréeChopped fine by hand or pulsed briefly gives a croquette with some bite. A food processor run continuously turns liver into paste that fries into a dense, pasty ball.
- Frying temperatureDeep fat at 350-375F. Everything inside is already cooked, so two to three minutes for colour is enough; longer and the crumb crust darkens while the interior dries out.
- Seasoning"Season" here means at least salt and pepper; onion or grated nutmeg are common additions to liver mixtures if you want them. Taste the mixture, or fry a test spoonful first, since cooked bacon already carries a good deal of salt.
- Breading orderCrumbs will cling better with a light dusting of flour before the egg. Chill the coated balls 20-30 minutes so the crust sets and holds in the fat.
- YieldA pound of liver with a half pound of bacon makes roughly 16-18 walnut-sized balls, or four to six servings with the potatoes.