Ohiofarmgirl's Adventures in The Good Land is largely a fish out of water tale about how I eventually found my footing on a small farm in an Amish town. We are a mostly organic, somewhat self sufficient, sustainable farm in Ohio. There's action and adventure and I'll always tell you the truth about farming.


Friday, January 27, 2012

Pasta alla OFG - Farmstyle

You know that I love liver in the wurst way. And it goes without saying that bacon tops my list as one of the all time best foods known to man. The questions then, was how to combine my two truest loves.

Pasta alla OFG...Farmstyle.. that's right baby!

I thought. I considered. I pondered. Then it came to me. All I really needed was a vehicle on which to deliver the lovely liver and the precious bacon...... pasta. And then I could include my other favorite food groups, cheese and cream. And of course there is booze involved. So I created Pasta alla OFG. Farmstyle. Whoot! 

Wondering how to incorporate more liver into your life? Here's how.

Step 1: Run right out and butcher some chickens in the yard..... Hum. Maybe we don't need to start that far back....

Ingredients:
Bacon, several slices
Onions - a handful
Chicken livers - however many you've got
Brandy - a splash and a glass. The glass is for you, the splash is for the pan.
Chicken stock - enough to fill the bottom of the pan and then some
Cream - a big glug
Some kind of grated cheese, preferably some you've made yourself
Lots of ground black pepper

Starting with a cold pan, slice up some bacon into a medium dice. Turn on the heat and allow the fat to render or add more bacon fat from that jar you keep on the stove. After the fat has rendered and the bacon has started to cook, add a handful of onions. I like mine chunky style. All this can happily cook on the stove until it suits your liking. I don't like my bacon overly crispy so I cook until the chewy stage.

In the meantime, clean and cut up some fresh chicken livers. Watch out for that weird green thing! Thats the bile duct. Throw that away. Don't get any of it on you or your livers or anywhere. Recoil with horror from it. Preferably you've already tossed this when you were dressing the chickens.

Add the cut up livers to the bacon pan and gently cook until most of the pink is gone. Add a grinding of black pepper. Then add a big splash of brandy. Let this cook while you toss back the glass of brandy you've poured for yourself. Carefully place head over pan and smell the heavenly scent of bacon, liver, and brandy all swimming together. For heavens sakes be careful so that you don't ignite the brandy, tho, and burn down your house.

After the sharp smell of the brandy has cooked off, add some chicken stock. How much? How much sauce do you need? Coat the bottom of the pan and a little more, at least, and let it cook together.  Add some cream - at least a big glug. Add another grinding of black pepper.

Wait! Did you forget to start your pasta? Whole wheat pasta? Whatcha doin' eating white pasta? Throw that away right now. Whole wheat pasta is better in so many different ways. And its sturdy enough to stand up to for itself in this dish. Might as well pour yourself a little more brandy while you're standing around waiting for the pasta to cook because you didn't start it first. Sheesh!

Make sure you dip out a little of the pasta cooking water and add it to the sauce - not more than a quarter of a cup. Then add the pasta and coat with the sauce. Really toss it around in the pan like you know what you're doing. Can you flip the whole thing over without throwing it all over the wall? That's the way. Say, have more brandy while your at it.

Then add in your freshly grated, aged, goatsmilk cheese. You know the one like this? It grates like parm. Fantastic. And more black pepper. The sauce should be thick and coat the pasta. Voila! Pasta alla OFG.

To make it truly Farmstyle....Serve yourself up a big portion, add more grated cheese and more black pepper.  Pour yourself a lovely little cab and stagger.. I mean... head toward the couch for an evening of pasta, bacon, liver and crime time TV....of course, with a herd of over interested cats trailing you.

Least ways, that's how we get 'er done around here.

Happy Friday everyone!

5 comments:

Carolyn said...

OMG that looks delicious! I may have to try out your recipe...even though DH doesn't like cream sauces on pasta. Now what's with THAT? What's not to like about liver, bacon & CREAM??

Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

I've never tried that dish, it sounds inticing :o) I'd have to leave off the brandy..('d probably burn down the house :o)...good use of all your harvests.

Ohiofarmgirl said...

What is with that!?! You can always just use the stock - it turns out great.

Don't burn your house down, Ginny! I used to ignite stuff all the time with brandy - I loved it. But after a few close calls I decided the "flare" just wasnt worth the risk.
;-)

David said...

Any leftovers? I'm thinking add some eggs and make a frittata for breakfast. Loved your instructions!

Ohiofarmgirl said...

No way on the leftovers, Dave, but I love that pasta frittata thing! Actually I made this pasta again - thats 3 nites in a row!

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