Delia Smith Lambs Liver Recipes

LAMB'S LIVER WITH CARAMELISED ONIONS

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes then cut into small chunks and cook in boiling water for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan, preferably non-stick. Add the onion and sugar and fry gently for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions are golden. Remove any veins from the liver slices. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper, and lightly season. Push the fried onions to one side of the pan, add the liver slices and fry gently for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Add 100ml cold water and the balsamic glaze to the pan, then stir until the liver and onions are coated in glossy juices. Remove from the heat. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Add the milk and plenty of black pepper, then mash until smooth. Stir the parsley and sage through. Pile onto serving plates with the liver, onions and pan juices, and serve with lightly steamed purple sprouting broccoli and courgettes.

LAMBS' KIDNEYS IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Begin by melting the butter in a pan and softening the onion and garlic in it for 5 minutes. After that add the chopped bacon and the mushrooms, and cook for a further 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the kidneys: cut them in half and remove the skins, then snip out the cores with a pair of kitchen scissors. Now add the halved kidneys to the pan and cook them to colour a little, stirring them around the pan. Next sprinkle in the flour and stir it to soak up the juices, then add the thyme and pour in the red wine. Bring the whole lot to simmering point; season with salt (not too much, because of the bacon) and pepper. Then cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Then remove the lid and simmer for a further 10 minutes.

LIVER AND ONIONS

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in onion and saute until softened. Stir in sugar and continue to cook until onion caramelizes.
• Rinse liver and remove thin outer membrane. Slice liver into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices.
• Heat remaining butter in a medium skillet over medium heat
• Dredge liver slices in flour and brown in melted butter for about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve liver smothered with caramelized onions.

PAN COOKED LAMBS LIVER AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat the butter in a large frying pan. Add the onion, bacon lardons, garlic and thyme. Cook for 2-3 minutes.Season the flour with salt and black pepper and coat the liver.Add the liver to the pan and brown for about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar and water mixed with the gravy granules and bring to the boil.Serve with parsnip mash and seasonal vegetables.

SAUTEED CALF'S LIVER

Steps:

• Place liver in a nonreactive (ceramic or glass) bowl and pour milk over. Refrigerate, covered, 5 to 6 hours.
• In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. When butter is shimmering, add onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring more frequently until onions are very soft and brown, 30 to 40 minutes more.
• Drain liver and discard milk. Pat liver dry with paper towels.
• Spread flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Thoroughly coat liver with the flour mixture, shaking off excess.
• Heat a large (13-inch) saute pan over medium heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the oil and heat until shimmering. Cook (in batches, if necessary, to avoid crowding pan) until liver is firm (but not hard) and browned on the outside but still slightly pink in the center, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining liver, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. Add sage and cook for 1 minute more.
• Divide liver among plates and top with onions.

LIVER PATE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine water, chicken livers, and sliced onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until liver is cooked and tender. Remove from heat, drain, and discard onions. Also remove and discard any hard portions of the liver.
• Place cooked livers in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Add chopped onion, sherry, butter or margarine, salt, black pepper, and mace; pulse to blend. With hands lightly greased, form pate mixture into a mound, and place on a serving platter. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

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.

LIVER, BACON & ONIONS

Steps:

• Peel and very finely slice the red onion. Place in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
• Reserving 2 nice leaves, pick, finely slice and add the rest of the sage. Cook for 5 minutes, tossing regularly.
• Push the onions to one side, and add the bread and bacon to the pan. As soon as they crisp up, flip them over. Drizzle the soft, golden onions with a little red wine vinegar, toss with tongs, then move them on top of the bread, so they don't catch. Once the bacon is golden, move that on top of the onions.
• Lightly season the liver, then add to the pan to sear for just 1 minute on each side, so it's golden on the outside, blushing in the middle.
• Add the 2 reserved sage leaves alongside, with 1 teaspoon of olive oil to crisp them up, then serve.