“Silence of the Lambs” - A Beef and Offal Tasting Plate:

Calf’s liver:

1. For caramelised onions take 3 onions, finely chop in half rounds and add to frypan with 2 tbsp of olive oil on a low heat to fry gently. Add sugar, balsamic vinegar and 1 tbsp butter after 10 minutes. Continue to fry until golden and sweet (may take 30 to 60 minutes – remember to fry very gently). Ready to serve over calf’s liver.
2. Finely slice 2 small pieces of Calf’s liver per person (almost as thin as a carpaccio). Salt and pepper to taste. Fry for about 10 seconds per side in a hot frypan. Remove from pan and squeeze lemon juice on liver just prior to serving. Ready to serve (with caramelised onions on top)

Black Angus Eye Fillet:

1. Fry first side for 3 minutes then turn only once and fry the other side. Place into hot 220°C oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Tripe:

1. Blanche tripe for half an hour.
2. Remove from water and slice into thin strips.
3. Take one onion and chop roughly and place in saucepan and sweat until transparent (using 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter).
4. Add strips of tripe and sauté for 5 minutes.
5. Add one clove of crushed garlic, oregano, chilli and ground pepper. Sauté for another 5 minutes.
6. Add bottle of Italian Sugo (passatta or sauce) plus one quarter of the bottle of water. Bring to boil. Once it has boiled, reduce to a simmer and cook for between 1 to 2 hours (until tender). Ready to serve.

Brains:

1. Take lamb’s or calf’s brains and blanche in a pan with water (start with water cold), add bay leaf and bring to boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes (ensure they do not break apart). Take out of water and pat dry.
2. Taking bread crumb mixture and rest of the grated parmesan, mix together.
3. Cut the brains into pieces about 5 cm x 3 cm x 2 cm or smaller, dip into beaten egg then crumb in parmesan breadcrumb mixture. Deep fry in canola oil until golden. Ready to serve.

Black Pudding:

1. Cut slices of black pudding about 5-8mm thick. Pan fry until crisp on both sides in medium pan (about 2 to 5 minutes depending on thickness of blood pudding). Ready to serve with fried quail’s egg on top.

Quail Eggs:

1. Just before serving, fry the quails eggs (6 for this meal), just like a normal sunny side up egg. Use to garnish the top of black pudding.

Potato Mash

1. Peel and cut potatoes into chunks about 7cm x 7cm. Boil in a saucepan with salted water (from cold water and heat on stove) until tender. Set aside to be used as potato mash.
2. Dice the bacon and finely chop one onion fry in saucepan until crispy (ensure onion only golden – does not burn or go dark brown as it will be bitter). Set aside to mix into potato mash.
3. Using a potato ricer, mash potato, add the bacon pieces and fried onion. Take one tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese, truffle butter and one tablespoon of butter and mix into potatoes. Add cream slowly and mash until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Ready for serving.

Fresh Asparagus Spears

1. Blanch asparagus spears for 2 minutes until heated through yet still maintaining a “bite”, do not overcook or you need to start again. Remove from water and immediately douse in iced water – to retain green colour.
2. Just before serving, place in pan with 1tbsp hot olive oil and 1 tsp minced garlic to heat through. Do not allow garlic to go brown (if burnt, throw out and start again). Ready to serve with meal.

Fig-Infused Red Wine Jus

1. Take the quail bones, 1tbsp olive oil, 1tbsp of butter and sauté the bones in a large saucepan on the stove for 5 minutes.
2. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 finely chopped eschalots and fry on medium heat until onions start to colour.
3. Add the 10 figs, marjoram and parsley and pepper to taste (do not add salt until near end as Chicken stock sometimes may be salty). Cook for another 3 minutes (ensure garlic doesn’t burn).
4. Add the 2 litres of stock, cup of red wine and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low heat and add the bay leaf and remove lid and allow the stock to reduce. This takes about 3 hours. Stir constantly. You may need to add water occasionally (do not add more than 1 litre). Sauce is ready when thick enough to lightly cover back of spoon. Taste to see if salt or more pepper is required. Strain out

Assembling the Plate

1. Using a hot plate, Place the tripe in sauce on plate first at left hand side (a large spoonful) and put fillet on top.
2. Adjacent to meat, add potato mash with 3 asparagus spears on top. Moving to the right of the plate (if rectangular) place 2 pieces of calf’s liver and squeeze over lemon juice, with a dessert spoon of caramelised onions on top, add small pieces of deep fried brains in a small mound and dress with parsley, and finally to the right hand side of plate place 1 or 2 pieces of black pudding with the fried quail’s egg on top.
3. Drizzle with truffle oil if you wish to garnish over asparagus and mashed potato.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.