Liver with Bacon and Onions

We bought a deep fat fryer not very long ago. Actually, it's my mum's but she's only used it once. I've never really been brave enough to deal with hot fat in large quantities so I mostly leave the actual dangerous frying to Al. He worked in a Chip shop when he was 14 (I'm sure there are some ethical/health and safety issues there but he survived) and is quite the pro.

I used to be a vegetarian. I think I've mentioned it in passing before but it seems like a long time ago now. I will now try pretty much any meat you put in front of me, just so I know what it's like. As a kid, I hated liver. My mum used to cook it sometimes and we'd have to eat it... it has such a strange texture and flavour, it's quite unlike anything else really. In my adulthood (stop laughing!) I've found that I actually really like it. I love the weird texture and the iron-y flavour. I've learnt that it goes amazingly well with onions and bacon in a rich gravy. These combine perfectly with potatoes (usually mashed) and peas.

This time, we deep fried some cooked new potatoes to go with the liver and bacon and they were delicious. Nice and crispy on the outside to completment the meltingly delicious liver and the thick gravy. As my mum is the one that cooks liver, I thought it was time I tried to make it myself. It's really easy!

Ingredients
1 large onion
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 pack of lambs liver
2-4 tbsp plain flour
Salt and pepper
300ml lamb stock
4 rashers of bacon

Method
Slice the onion and fry in half of the oil until lightly browned.
Rinse the liver and pat dry. Season the flour and spread onto a plate, coat each slice of liver with the flour.
Stir the leftover flour into the onions and cook gently for a minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the stock and bring to boil, reduce the heat and leave to simmer.
Fry the bacon in the rest of the oil and remove from the pan when cooked. Add the liver to the pan and fry over a moderate heat for a couple of minutes each side, or until lightly browned.
Return the bacon to the pan, add the sauce and stir to make sure all the residue of the frying bacon and liver is incorporated well. Simmer for 3-4 minutes until the liver is cooked.
Serve with mashed (or in this case fried) potatoes and peas.

We used tinned potatoes (shocking, I know) that were drained and dried thoroughly. We then fried them in oil at 170C until crispy and delicious. Obviously, these would be even better with fresh potatoes but we just used what we had.

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Slow Cooker Recipes: Steak and Kidney Pie

Every week we make a list of what's on the menu for the days ahead. We then write a list, take it shopping and only need to top up on things like milk, bread and chocolate during the week. My mum had written that we'd have meat pie one day that week. We normally buy two separate pies for the family so I decided I'd make one that everyone would like.

I found some ready cut stewing beef and pigs kidney in the butchery department of Morrisons. They were packaged together and I grabbed a couple of packs to make sure I had enough. I'd never cooked with kidneys before and wasn't entirely sure what I was letting myself in for but I was keen that I could work it out. I've made fruit pies hundreds of times before so I was sure it would be a pretty similar adventure.

Stewing steak likes long, slow cooking. The handy hint on the package of meat said it needed 2-3 hours so I decided I'd stick the filling in the slow cooker and save myself some work. It smelled awful. There was a strong scent of urine from the kidneys and I was really worried we'd need to go and get a take away if this didn't work out. I decided to persevere and used the usual seasonings and herbs for a decent stew.

The result was amazing. I used a cake pan in order to squeeze loads of filling in and have an awesome filling to pastry ratio. I used ready made puff pastry that had been sitting in the fridge waiting to be used and it was a little difficult to work with. It all turned out perfectly and I'm keen to make more meat pies in the future. My dad said it was the best steak and kidney pie he'd ever tasted (and he's tasted quite a few!).


Ingredients
700g stewing steak and kidney mix (cubed)
1 onion, roughly chopped
10 button mushrooms, quartered
1tbsp mustard powder
1 beef stock cube, crumbled
2 bay leaves
Worcester sauce
Salt and pepper
Enough boiling water to come halfway up the meat - though you could use a good stout for a different flavour)
Puff Pastry (you can also use shortcrust)

Method
Place the onion and mushrooms into the slow cooker.
Brown the meat and kidneys (in a well ventilated area) and add to the pot.
Follow with the rest of the ingredients.
Cook on high for 5-6 hours or low for 8-10
Taste for seasoning, remove the bay leaves and place the mixture into a wide dish to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180C
Roll the pastry out and lay into a loose bottomed cake tin (make sure there's enough left for the lid)
Fill the pastry with the cooled meat mixture - don't be afraid to cram it in there!)
Egg wash the edge of the pastry, cover with the lid and seal tightly.
Egg wash the top of the pie, cut a cross in the centre to let out the steam and then place the pie onto a baking sheet to minimise mess.
Bake for 40-50 minutes, until golden and piping hot throughout. Slice carefully and serve with chips or potatoes and the vegetables of your choice.

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