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French · Alsace

Lewerknepfle

Lewerknepfle (liver dumplings, from the Alsatian Lewer = liver, Knepfle = small dumplings) are one of the defining preparations of Alsatian home cooking: small, tender dumplings of calf’s or pork liver mixed with stale bread, eggs, and aromatics, poached in broth and served either in the broth as a soup course or sautéed in browned butter as a main course. This dish exemplifies the Alsatian talent for elevating offal into refined preparations through careful technique and restraint in seasoning. The liver (250g per 4 portions) must be meticulously cleaned: all membrane, sinew, and bile ducts removed, then minced very finely by hand or passed through the fine disc of a meat grinder. The bread component: 150g of stale white bread (pain de mie is ideal) soaked in warm milk until completely soft, then squeezed dry to form a paste (the panade). The liver, panade, a finely minced onion sautéed in butter until translucent, 2 whole eggs, a tablespoon of flour, chopped parsley and chives, and seasoning of salt, pepper, and nutmeg are combined and mixed thoroughly. The mixture should be soft but hold its shape when scooped with a spoon — if too loose, add a tablespoon more flour; if too stiff, a splash of milk. The dumplings are formed using two tablespoons dipped in hot water (the quenelle technique), shaping neat oval dumplings of approximately 3cm length. They are poached in gently simmering salted water or beef broth for 8-10 minutes until they float and feel firm when pressed. For the broth presentation, the dumplings are served in a clear beef consommé with chives. For the main course version, the poached dumplings are drained, then sautéed in foaming beurre noisette until golden on all sides, finished with a squeeze of lemon and more chopped parsley. The liver should taste clean and delicate, not aggressive — the sign of impeccable preparation is that a diner might not immediately identify liver as the primary ingredient.

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ServesFour portions
Sourced0of 15 in BC
Cook
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I

The Market List

The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.

250 g
calf's or pork liver
all membrane, sinew, and bile ducts removed, then minced very finely by hand or passed through the fine disc of a meat grinder
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
150 g
stale white bread (pain de mie)
soaked in warm milk until completely soft, then squeezed dry to form a paste
Your own market
1 medium
onion
finely minced, sautéed in butter until translucent
Your own market
2
eggs
whole
Your own market
1 tbsp
plain flour
plus up to 1 tbsp more if mixture is too loose
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1 small bunch
flat-leaf parsley
finely chopped
Your own market
1 small bunch
chives
finely chopped
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
to taste
salt
Your own market
to taste
black pepper
Your own market
to taste
nutmeg
freshly grated
Your own market
sufficient to soak bread
whole milk
warm; a splash extra reserved to loosen mixture if too stiff
Your own market
For poaching
1.5 litres
salted water or beef broth
kept at a gentle simmer
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the broth presentation
1 litre
clear beef consommé
hot
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the sauté presentation
60 g
unsalted butter
cooked to beurre noisette
Your own market
½
lemon
juice only
Your own market
II

The Method

1
Remove all membrane, sinew, and bile ducts from the liver with a sharp knife. Mince the cleaned liver very finely by hand or pass it through the fine disc of a meat grinder — do not use a food processor, which overheats the flesh and produces a pasty texture. Push the minced liver through a fine-meshed tamis if the finest texture is required. The result should be a smooth, even paste with no trace of green or dark grey from residual bile. Chill while preparing the other components.
2
Submerge the stale bread in warm milk. Leave until every part is saturated and completely soft, then gather the bread in both hands and squeeze firmly and repeatedly until all milk has been expelled. The panade should hold together as a dry, cohesive paste with no free liquid remaining. Insufficient squeezing at this stage will loosen the finished mixture beyond recovery.
3
Sweat the finely minced onion in a knob of butter over a moderate heat until it is translucent and entirely without colour. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely before adding to the liver.
4
Combine the liver paste, panade, cooled onion, eggs, flour, parsley, and chives in a bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and freshly grated nutmeg. Mix thoroughly until the mixture is uniform. It should be soft yet hold the shape pressed upon it by a spoon. If it runs, incorporate another tablespoon of flour; if it is rigid, loosen with a splash of milk. Chill the mixture for 30 minutes — it will firm and become easier to shape. Before forming all the dumplings, poach a single test dumpling, taste it, and adjust the seasoning of the raw mixture accordingly.
5
Dip two tablespoons in hot water. Using the quenelle technique, scoop a portion of mixture with one spoon and pass it back and forth with the second to form a neat oval of approximately 3 cm in length. Work methodically, re-dipping the spoons as needed. The surface of each dumpling should be smooth and without cracks.
6
This is where the dish lives or dies. Bring the salted water or broth to a gentle, steady simmer — never a boil. Lower the dumplings in batches without crowding. Poach for 8 to 10 minutes. The dumplings are ready when they have risen to the surface and feel distinctly firm, not yielding, when pressed lightly with a fingertip. Boiling toughens them; overcooking renders them rubbery. Remove with a slotted spoon.
7
For the broth presentation: ladle hot clear beef consommé into warmed bowls, place the poached dumplings in the broth, and finish with finely chopped chives. The broth should be perfectly clear and the dumplings pale, smooth, and intact.
From the canon — The supreme demonstration of classical technique — a perfectly clarified stock, trembling and transparent as amber glass, carrying the concentrated flavour o… Consommé →
8
For the sauté presentation: drain the poached dumplings and pat dry. Heat butter in a wide pan until it foams, subsides, and turns a deep gold with a nutty aroma — beurre noisette. Add the dumplings without crowding and sauté, turning, until golden on all sides. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a scattering of chopped parsley. The surface should be evenly coloured and the interior, when broken, should be pale and delicate — the liver flavour present but clean, not aggressive.
From the canon — Beurre noisette — hazelnut butter — is whole butter heated past its melting point until the milk solids undergo Maillard browning, producing a nutty, toasty,… Beurre Noisette — Brown Butter →
III

Quality Hierarchy

01
Reserve — Milk-fed calf's liver, sourced from a single animal, cleaned by the cook and passed through a fine tamis; pain de mie from a boulangerie, baked the previous day; homemade beef consommé clarified to crystal clarity.
02
Estate — Good-quality calf's liver from a trusted butcher, meticulously cleaned and ground on the fine disc; an artisan pain de mie or good-quality stale white sandwich loaf; a well-reduced, clear beef broth.
03
Market — Pork liver, carefully cleaned of all membrane and sinew; any close-crumbed stale white bread; a commercial beef broth of acceptable clarity.
04
House — Pork liver cleaned as carefully as time allows; stale supermarket white bread; a light salted water as the poaching medium, serving the dumplings simply in their cooking liquid.
IV

Sensory Tests

◇Touch. The squeezed panade holds together without releasing any free milk when pressed between the palms.
◇Touch. The raw dumpling mixture holds the shape formed by a spoon without spreading or cracking.
◇Sight. The shaped dumplings are smooth-surfaced ovals of approximately 3 cm, without cracks or rough edges.
◇Touch. The poached dumplings have risen to the surface and feel firm, not yielding, when pressed lightly with a fingertip.
◇Smell. The butter in the sauté pan smells of warm hazelnuts — beurre noisette — before the dumplings are added.
◇Sight. The sautéed dumplings are evenly golden on all sides with no pale patches remaining.
◇Where it lives or dies. The poaching must be held at a gentle, unbroken simmer for the full 8 to 10 minutes: a rolling boil toughens the dumplings, and the smallest overcooking makes them rubbery.
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VI

What to Pour

The pairing
Henry Marionnet Touraine Sauvignon Blanc
Domaine Henry Marionnet — Loire · Loire Valley
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wine
From British Columbia
Fort Berens Riesling
Fort Berens Estate Winery · Lillooet
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic

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The whole pairing
Pillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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