Liver is not a fashionable food at the moment. It becomes tough if it is overcooked and it has a flavour not everybody likes. However, liver is one of the most nutritious foods we can eat: it is an excellent source of protein and a wide range of vitamins and minerals. It is also cheap compared to other sources of equivalent nutrition. This recipe conceals the taste of liver among the flavours of bacon, onion and rosemary.
Liver and Bacon
- 400 g Beef or Lamb Liver, cut into slices
- 6 rashers Bacon (streaky or smoked)
- 25 g Butter
- 2 Onions, thinly sliced
- 500 ml Beef Stock from a stock cube
- A few Sprigs of fresh Rosemary
- 4 tsp Plain flour
Put 2 teaspoons of the flour in a large bowl and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Add the liver to the bowl and turn it in the flour until lightly coated. Tap off any excess.
Melt half the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the liver in the pan for about 2 minutes on each side. It should be lightly browned but do not overcook it. Put the liver on a plate for now..
Turn down the heat and melt the remaining butter in the same pan. Add the sliced onion and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring all the while. Next, add the bacon and rosemary and cook together for another 5 minutes or until the onion is softened and pale golden brown, stirring often.
Sprinkle the remaining flour over the onion and bacon and cook for a few seconds. Pour the hot stock slowly into the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a simmer and cook over a medium heat until the gravy is thickened.
Put the liver back in the pan and heat it through in the onion gravy for 2–3 minutes until hot, stirring. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a cauliflower or carrot mash and freshly cooked greens.