Today’s #bookqw keyword is “Simmer.” The only book I have with the word simmer in it is, unsurprisingly, a cookbook. I will bet you didn’t know that I was working on a cookbook, did you? It is titled 50 Ways to Love Your Liver and it is a collection of ways to cook that item.

Here is a recipe for

Seared Venison Liver With Bacon Chunks, Caramelized Onions, and Applejack

Think of this as liver jubilee. With bacon.

You will need

8 oz slab applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 medium onions, sliced thin
3 firm apples, cored and sliced thin (do not skin)

1 venison liver (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut into eight slices
All-purpose flour for dredging
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons butter plus 1 teaspoon
2 cups Laird’s Straight Apple Jack (86 proof)

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Heat a large skillet over low heat. Add the bacon and slowly cook until the fat is rendered and the meat is starting to crisp, about 12 to 14 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove it onto a layer of paper towels. Add the apple and onion slices to the pan and cook in the bacon drippings, stirring occasionally, until they’re soft and lightly browned. Remove them to a bowl, add salt and pepper, and set aside. (Reheat the bacon and onions in a warm oven or microwave just before serving.)

In a shallow dish, season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the liver slices, shaking off any excess. Pour off any remaining fat from the skillet and wipe out the pan with a paper towel. Heat 3 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat until it begins to foam, and add four pieces of liver. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until slightly past medium-rare (cut into them to be sure), then remove them to a plate, covering it with foil to keep the slices warm. Repeat with the remaining four slices, adding more butter to the pan if needed.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the apple jack to the pan. Once it’s warmed light it with a long match or wand-type butane lighter. (The flames will go high, so be careful.) Shake the pan lightly until the flames subside. Simmer the apple jack until it reduces to a syrupy consistency, scraping up any browned bits lingering on the bottom of the pan. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter.

To serve, place two liver slices on each plate and top with generous heaps of the warmed onions, sliced apples, and bacon. Spoon the apple jack reduction over the liver and garnish it with parsley. I like to serve this with red mashed potatoes, and peas & carrots for color. Serves four.