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Liver and onions
Pan-fried calf's liver with sweet onions and gravy
Liver and onions is a café and works-canteen classic across the North and the Midlands, cheap, quick and full of iron, eaten with mash and a dollop of gravy. Thin slices of calf's or lamb's liver are fried briefly in butter after the onions have turned slow and sweet. Chef's tip: soak the liver in milk for 30 minutes if you find its flavour strong; it softens the taste.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Fresh ingredients (4)
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Cook the 3 onions in half the 1 oz butter and the 1 tbsp vegetable oil with the 1 tsp sugar over a medium-low heat for 15 minutes until soft and golden. Tip onto a plate.
15 minStep 2: Pat the 1 ⅛ lb calf's or lamb's liver dry and dust with the 2 tbsp plain flour, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.
3 minStep 3: Turn the heat to medium-high, add the rest of the butter and fry the liver 2 minutes a side, until browned outside and cooked through with no pink juices, 158°F inside. A common mistake is frying it much longer, which turns it leathery.
4 minStep 4: Return the onions, pour in the 1 cup beef stock and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce and bubble for 2 minutes into a glossy gravy. Scatter with 1 tbsp parsley and serve with mash.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 28 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does liver and onions take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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