Part of me thinks that Mom would NOT approve of me using her panini press for this purpose. Part of me thinks she’d be intrigued by the idea, even if she’d have never eaten it in a million years. We got the idea for this sandwich while we were looking at the little bag of bonus turkey parts that comes in the neck cavity when you buy a whole bird. Finding that little bag of wonders is like finding gold…and it normally comes with the liver, heart, and gizzard (which is a REALLY cool Darwinian organ)! For this panini, we specifically featured the liver since liver and onions is a classically reviled dish, and we were just to infatuated with the idea to not make it.
I ate this sandwich alone since my wife had less than 0 interest in trying it (although she did emerge from her office and say that it smelled great). I used field greens as my topping…but sauteed mushrooms would work really well too…and if you prefer, I’d assume you can make this with beef liver…but the turkey liver is so mild, that’s what we’re sticking with!
Time: 20 Minutes
Ingredients (for one panini):
- 1 Turkey Liver (the really deep red and soft/velvety bit in your giblet bag)
- 1 Small Red Onion
- 2 Slices of Bread
- Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
- Mayonnaise
- Butter/Margarine
- Toppings of your choice. We used field greens, but sauteed mushrooms will be included next time!
Method:
- Plug in your panini press and begin to heat.
- Dice your onion.
- Melt some butter in a pan, and add your onions. Sautee for about 5-7 minutes.
- As your onions cook, slice your liver. Well, the turkey liver. DO NOT SLICE YOUR OWN LIVER. When your onions are ready, add your liver to the pan, and sautee everything for another 3-4.
- As your onions and liver cook, spread butter/margarine on the outsides of your sandwich bread, and lay them butter side down on your plate.
- Add your lettuce/sauteed mushrooms/other toppings to the bottom slice, and spread your mustard on the top slice.
- When your liver and onions are cooked, scoop them into a bowl, add some mayonnaise, and stir to combine.
- Spread your liver and onions mixture atop your lettuce.
- Put the top layer of your panini bread on so that the butter sides are now on the outside.
- Transfer to your panini press, press down, and let cook for 3-4 minutes until your bread is crispy and golden brown!
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
