Dumpling ingredients:
1-lb calves liver (more tender and flavorful than beef liver)
2 cups matzo meal or fresh bread crumbs
2 eggs, well beaten
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Mushroom sauce ingredients:
1-lb fresh mushrooms (Crimini or shitaki will have more flavour than the button type), sliced
1 cup beef stock
2 Turkish bay leaves
1/4 cup red wine
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white flour
cooked broad egg noodles or spaetzle
Dumpling directions:
Rinse liver well and cut into 1 inch pieces. Remove any veins. Place into food processor and puree. Scrape into large mixing bowl and add all of the dumpling ingredients. Mix well, cover bowl with Saran wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then, remove from refrigerator and, using your hands (grease hands with oil first), form liver mixture into small balls. Drop balls into salted, boiling water, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Dumplings will rise to surface when cooked.
Mushroom sauce:
Add olive oil to saute pan on medium heat. Add mushrooms and bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, and saute until mushrooms are tender. DO NOT overcook. Add flour, and make a roux with the oil by stirring in flour and sauteeing until flour browns. Add wine and beef stock, and heat and mix until mixture thickens. Adjust seasoning, add more stock if you prefer a less thick sauce.
To serve, place noodles on plate and place 6 dumplings on each plate. Pour sauce over dumplings. Garnish with chopped parsley and sliced apples.