Liver Casserole Recipe Delia Smith

LIVER AND BACON WITH ONIONS AND GRAVY

Steps:

• Rinse the liver in a colander under cold water and drain well on kitchen paper. Melt half of the butter with the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat.
• Put three tablespoons of the flour in a large bowl and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Coat half the liver in the seasoned flour, shake off any excess, then fry each slice in the hot fat for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly browned, but not completely cooked through.
• Transfer the slices to a plate and repeat with the remaining liver.
• Reduce the heat and melt the remaining butter in the same pan. Add the sliced onion and cook for a minute or so, stirring to separate the layers.
• Add the bacon to the pan and cook, stirring from time to time, for 8-10 minutes or until the onion is pale golden-brown and the bacon is beginning to crisp.
• Sprinkle the rest of the flour over the onion and bacon and stir it for a minute or so.
• Dissolve the stock cube in the just-boiled water and pour slowly into the pan, stirring constantly.
• Bring to a simmer and cook over a medium heat until the gravy is thickened. Add a dash of tomato ketchup and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Return the liver to the pan with the onion gravy for just 1-2 minutes to warm it through and finish cooking.
• Serve the liver and bacon with some mash and freshly cooked greens.

PEPPERED LIVER

Steps:

• You'll need to crush the peppercorns first, and this can present one or two problems. If you've got a pestle and mortar you're home and dry; if you haven't, then the best way to crush them is by exerting a lot of pressure on the back of a tablespoon with the peppercorns underneath it. This last method can often result in one or two peppercorns escaping and rolling off on to the floor, if you're not careful. So be warned. When you've got the peppercorns coarsely crushed, add them to the flour with the salt. Then dip the pieces of liver in it, pressing the pepper in a bit on both sides. Now in a large heavy-based frying pan, heat the oil and butter to the foamy stage, then put the liver slices in and cook them gently for a minute or two. As soon as the blood starts to run, turn them over, and gently cook them on the other side for slightly less time. Whatever you do, don't overcook the liver or it will be dry and tough. Transfer the slices of liver on to a warm serving dish, add the wine to the pan, turn the heat up to let it bubble and reduce, then pour it over the liver and serve immediately.

LIVER CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Brown the onions in the butter in a frying pan for about 5 minutes, until they begin to soften.
• Add the liver and fry gently until sealed, about 10 minutes. Add the bacon and brown for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the meat and onion mix to a casserole dish. Add the baked beans, kidney beans, carrots and celery, and stir well. Add the mixed herbs, beef stock and apple juice and stir.
• Cook in the casserole dish (with lid on) in the oven for 90 minutes. Check that it doesn't dry out during cooking.