I used sheep’s liver, sliced quite thinly, for my liver and onions. It’s important to remove the very fine membranes on both sides of the liver, or they will curl up and toughen the liver in the pan. And, of course, the best thing to serve with liver and onions is mashed potato. (This recipe pairs with this column: Fine fare from the Fifth Quarter.)

(Serves 2) 

Ingredients 

6 Tbsp butter 

500 g sheep’s liver 

100 ml milk 

4 rashers of streaky bacon 

1 large or 2 medium onions, sliced, not chopped 

3 sprigs fresh thyme 

1 bay leaf 

250 ml white wine 

250 ml beef stock 

1 Tbsp tomato sauce/ ketchup 

1 scant tsp Hot English mustard 

Mashed potato made to your usual method 

Method 

Don’t forget to boil or steam enough potatoes, then mash them and stir in some milk and butter and salt and pepper while hot. 

Soak the liver in milk for an hour then drain and pat dry.

Using clean fingernails or a very fine, sharp knife, peel away the membranes. They should come off in strips and it is worth taking the trouble to do this. Cut away the connective tissue and discard. 

Slice the liver into strips about 1 cm thick. 

First cook the bacon, then the onions, then add ingredients to make this into a sauce that contains the cooked onions and bacon: Melt 1 Tbsp butter in a heavy pan and add the bacon. Fry till crisp and remove. Add 2 more Tbsp butter and simmer the sliced onions with the thyme sprigs and a bay leaf until softened and taking on a little bit of colour. 

Return the bacon to the pan and add the white wine. Cook on a high heat until reduced by half. Add the beef stock and repeat. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, and stir in the ketchup and mustard. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Check that the sauce is of a satisfyingly thick consistency and reduce more if not. Your sauce is ready; no need to thicken with cornflour or flour, the reduction process has thickened it for you. 

In a separate pan, melt 3 Tbsp butter and fry the slices of liver on a moderately high heat until they caramelise on the underside, season with salt and pepper, then turn and cook the other side. 

Serve a dollop of mashed potato with the onion sauce alongside and the slices of liver arranged alongside or on top. A sprig of thyme will finish it off nicely. DM/TGIFood

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