Meat by-products are affordable, tasty and healthy. This also concerns turkey turkey. The liver of this bird contains a large amount of nutrients, including rare vitamin K, which helps to absorb calcium, helps strengthen bones. This product is considered one of the most necessary in the diet of children. Adults appreciate it for its beneficial properties with a relatively low calorie, unique delicate taste. If you know how to cook turkey liver, it will come out soft and juicy. It can be used for the preparation of pastes and souffles, salads and other dishes, served as an independent dish with a side dish of cereals. This will significantly expand the family menu.
Features of cooking turkey liver so it is soft and juicy
The process of cooking turkey liver is not complicated, but has its own specifics. Without knowing a few moments, the desired result can not be obtained.
- It is important to choose a quality product, otherwise even the skill of the culinary specialist will not help to correct the situation and prepare a tasty dish. Good turkey liver has a red-burgundy color, it is always darker than chicken. Fresh product has a glossy shine, it smells good. If the liver exudes an unpleasant smell, has a dull color, is stained, it is advisable to refrain from buying. When choosing a product in the store, attention is also paid to the integrity of the packaging, the date of manufacture and shelf life.
- If you cook fresh or chilled turkey liver, it will come out juicier and softer than having been in the freeze. When defrosting, the by-product loses some of the liquid, which makes it drier. To minimize losses, the liver is thawed, trying to prevent a sharp temperature drop. It is best to allow her to thaw in the refrigerator or at least at room temperature. If you want to cook a juicy liver, you should not try to speed up the process of thawing it with a microwave or warm water.
- Before cooking, turkey liver is washed in several waters, dried with a napkin, pieces of fat and bile ducts are removed. Some housewives pre-soak the liver in cool water. Turkey liver does not have the same bitter taste as beef or pork, so soaking can be waived. Exceptions are situations when the product is prepared for a small child. While preparing the liver for babies, you can soak it not even in water, but in milk, then it will turn out more gentle.
- To make boiled turkey liver soft and juicy, they put it in boiling water. Salt it immediately or 10-15 minutes before readiness. The later the salt is added, the more juice the by-product will retain, since the salt has the property of pulling moisture out of the products.
Turkey's liver is cooked much longer than chicken, but it is also important not to digest it, otherwise it will become hard and dry.
Cooking time
Cooking time of turkey liver depends on what size it is and where it is cooked.
- If the turkey liver is cooked in a pan, it will take 40 minutes. After pre-cutting the liver in medium pieces, the cooking time in the pan can be reduced to 30 minutes.
- Cooking time for a turkey liver in a slow cooker exceeds its cooking time in a saucepan for 10 minutes. This happens because when the product is boiled in a saucepan, it is dipped in boiling water, and when boiling it in a slow cooker, it takes time to heat the water.
- When boiling a turkey liver for a couple, it is cut into small pieces, so it cooks for only 30 minutes.
- In a pressure cooker, turkey liver must be cooked 10 minutes after the unit has set the required pressure. Before removing the finished product, you will have to wait for the unit to release pressure. As a result, the total time of cooking the cooker in a pressure cooker will be 20-40 minutes, depending on how quickly the unit picks up and releases pressure. Significant time savings in the case of boiling turkey liver using a pressure cooker does not.
- For children, turkey liver is prepared as much as for adults, but for them it is pre-soaked.
The turkey liver readiness can be determined with a knife. If during its piercing with a sharp object a dark liquid does not flow from it, it is ready.
Baby turkey liver
Composition:
- turkey liver - 0, 2 kg;
- milk - 150 ml;
- water - 1, 5 l;
- carrots - 70 g.
Method of preparation:
- Rinse the liver, cut out all unsightly areas, including pieces of fat. Cut the liver into small pieces. Place them on the steamer.
- Pour water into the main container - the amount recommended by the manufacturer of the unit.
- Turn on the steamer for 30 minutes.
- While the liver is boiling, wash and peel the carrot, cut it into several pieces.
- In a small saucepan, boil water, put carrot pieces into it and cook them until soft. It will take about 15 minutes.
- Combine steamed liver with boiled carrots and grind them with a blender to a state of tender mashed potatoes. If necessary, dilute it to the desired consistency with boiled water. Salt food is not necessary.
Turkey liver mashed potatoes are being offered to children from 8-9 months of age, but not before they get used to meat. The first lure will be only half a teaspoon of mashed potatoes, then the portion can be increased. If a child for one reason or another does not eat carrots (it is allergic), you can replace it with cauliflower or other vegetables to which the baby’s body responds well.
How to cook turkey liver for salad
Composition:
- turkey liver - 0.5 kg;
- water - 2 l;
- bay leaf - 2-3 pcs .;
- black pepper peas - 3-5 pcs .;
- salt - to taste.
Method of preparation:
- Wash the liver, cut off the pieces of fat, bile duct.
- Boil water, add pepper and laurel leaves.
- Put the liver in a pot of water. Wait until the liquid boils again, remove the foam that has protruded on the surface.
- Cook the liver for 20 minutes, add salt. After another 10-15 minutes, check her readiness by piercing with a knife. If dark juice flows out of the liver, boil it for another 5-10 minutes, this time is exactly enough to bring the product to readiness.
If you pre-cut the liver in such slices as you plan to put in the salad, the cooking time should be halved.
How to cook turkey liver for pate in a slow cooker
Composition:
- turkey liver - 0, 6 kg;
- carrots - 100 g;
- onions - 100 g;
- salt, spices - to taste;
- water - 2 l.
Method of preparation:
- Liver wash, remove all excess. Slice the liver into medium pieces, place the multicooker in the bowl.
- Peel the onion. Put it to the liver (whole).
- Scrape carrots, cut off her tips. Cut the vegetable into 4 pieces, put the pieces into the multicooker bowl.
- Salt, add spices, cover with water.
- Lower the lid and turn on the device by activating the “Quenching” program. Set the timer to 40 minutes.
For cooking boiled turkey pate with liver, chop one carrot and onion, fry them until ready. Grind the liver with a blender or meat grinder with roasted vegetables. Beat the resulting mass with softened butter, put in a form and cool. At the amount indicated in the recipe of the liver will be enough to take 30-40 g of oil. Turkey liver is a healthy and dietary product. It can be cooked in a slow cooker, pan or steamed. Boiled turkey liver can be used to make pies, salads, toppings for pies or pancakes. Also this product is used for feeding small children. Properly cooked liver of a bird is soft and juicy, without an unpleasant bitter taste.
