Liver Dumplings

A spare, old-style camp recipe: raw liver ground with aromatics, bound with egg and flour, and poached in broth. The whole thing hinges on the binder-to-liver ratio, which as printed is very thin.

• Check the binderOne egg and one tablespoon of flour is very little binder for two pounds of ground liver, and the mixture may well disperse in the broth rather than hold as dumplings. A workable ratio is roughly one egg and two to three tablespoons of flour or fine breadcrumb per half pound of liver, stiffened until a teaspoonful holds its shape on the spoon.
• Test one firstBefore dropping the whole batch, poach a single dumpling. If it falls apart, add flour a spoonful at a time; if it turns dense and rubbery, the mix is over-bound.
• Grinding the liverBeef liver is slippery and stringy raw. Chill it hard, trim the membrane and any large vessels, cut into strips and pass through the coarse plate of a grinder, or pulse in a food processor. Grind the onion or garlic with it so the aromatics distribute evenly.
• Broth, not water, and keep it below a rolling boilA hard boil tears these dumplings apart. Bring the broth to a boil, drop the dumplings in, then hold it at a bare simmer. Beef or veal stock suits the flavor; the dumplings will season the broth as much as it seasons them.
• Five minutes is for small onesTeaspoon-sized dumplings are done in about five minutes, when they float and are firm at the center. Anything larger needs eight to ten. Liver is unforgiving past that point and goes grainy and dry.
• Seasoning"Salt" alone is understated for two pounds of liver. Roughly a teaspoon of salt per pound plus black pepper is a reasonable starting point, and marjoram or parsley is traditional in the central European versions of this dumpling.
• Yield and servingA half pound of liver will make a good number of teaspoon-sized dumplings, enough for two to three servings as a soup garnish. Serve them in the poaching broth with chopped parsley, or lift them out and finish in browned butter with onions.