Liver and Onions

I love it. Liz hates it. Liver is one of those ingredients that divides opinions. I get why some people don't like it, I really do. It does have a different texture to 'normal' meat and it definitely has a richness that we are not always used to. But I am sure some people don't eat it for slightly different reasons; reasons to do with their pre-conceptions about eating liver and other kinds of offal. People for some reason become squemish or are put off at the very thought of eating these kinds of food. But there is no doubting the health benefits (click here to see a thorough explanation by Mark Sisson) and it is REALLY cheap (2 portions of lamb's liver will cost less than a quid in the supermarket). Add to that fact that by following just a simple recipe you can have a genuinely tasty meal, then I urge you to give it a go.



There are two main points to remember when cooking liver - first, do not overcook it. It will become really tough and rubbery pretty quickly. Secondly, give it plenty of seasoning. I usually go for lamb's liver but calf's liver is also a popular choice. I think calf's liver can sometimes have a stronger flavour to it which can be a little off putting. Lamb's liver is usually a bit more mellow and smoother. Each can be interchangeable in any recipe though. For my dinner, I combined the liver with some cabbage cooked with bacon and a baked potato.

To serve 1 (Liz chose not to have any of this one!)

Ingredients

For the liver & onions
200g lamb's liver
half an onion
1 tsp wholegrain mustard
splash of worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
oil/butter for frying

For the cabbage
1/4 savoy cabbage, finely shredded
2 cloves garlic
2 rashers of bacon, sliced into lardons
oil/butter for frying

To serve
1 baked potato

Method

1. Start with the cabbage as this will take longer to cook. Firstly, fry the bacon lardons in some oil until just crispy. At this point add the garlic but be careful not to burn. Then add the cabbage and a knob of butter and allow to slowly cook while you prepare the liver.

2. On a low heat, fry the sliced onion in a little oil. Do this on a very low heat for upto 20mins to produce really sweet and sticky onions. Remove and keep warm.

3. In the same pan, on a high heat add the liver (sliced into 1inch pieces). At this point add plenty of salt and pepper to the liver.

4. Fry for just 2 or 3 minutes before adding the onions back to the pan.

5. Add a splash of hot water to the pan and then scrape off any bits that have stuck to the pan. Then add the mustard, worcestershire sauce and a little butter.

6. Continue to cook for just another 1 or 2 minutes and then serve with the cabbage and bacon, and the baked potato.