Liver Two Ways: Italianese or Spicy with Rhubarb Yoghurt

Liver is a bit like marmite in that you either love it or, well, you don’t.

This liver was fresh from Smithfield’s market. Ox liver. I had never had good ox liver before, and I tried it over two days, two ways. Liver is cheap and nutritious, so it is a good value food if you can bring yourself to cook it!

Ox liver can be quite tough, but as this was fresh it was delicious. These recipes would also work with pig's or lamb's liver.

  

Before both, cut the liver into slices, perhaps 1cm thick, removing any sinew etc. wash and then pat dry with kitchen paper or similar.

  Liver Italianese

This recipe was given to me by Italian friends, and it is simple and delicious.

  

Saute onions- I did a mixture of red and white onion- over a low heat with olive oil

  

In a bowl mix flour (I used wholemeal), a pinch of salt and some thyme.

Turn up the heat in the pan, so that it is hot enough for the liver to sizzle when it goes into it.

Roll the strips of liver in the seasoned flour, and put into the pan. Turn the strips until they are brown on both sides- they should be in the pan for about 4 minutes. You want the liver to be cooked, not cremated, that way it is tender.

Serve with fresh bread for a simple meal, but make sure that you serve it piping hot and straight from the pan!

  Spicy Liver with rhubarb yoghurt

In the UK, liver always seems to be served with onions. Actually, this recipes would work with onions too, but it is very good without.

 

You need:

• One tomato per person
• Olive oil
• Enough sliced liver for each person
• Garlic
• Chilli flakes
• Flour (I used millet flour)
• Yoghurt

Dice the tomato and fry- you want them to reduce to a thick consistency.

Mix the flour (I used millet here, which has a slightly nutty, sweet flavour and is a wholegrain flour, but you could use any wheat flour. It is inexpensive and can be bought in many African or Subcontinental shops) with the chilli flakes, some salt if you choose and the diced garlic. My advice here is to go spicier than you think that you would like- the yoghurt takes away some of the heat and it combines beautifully.

Roll the liver slices into the seasoned flour, lightly coating, and place into the same pan as the tomato, at a high heat. You will need to turn the liver regularly, for around 4 minutes, so that it doesn’t stick to the pan. Coat it in the thickened tomato.

 Serve with a generous tablespoonful of yoghurt- the sweet and sour flavour of rhubarb yoghurt works well, but natural yoghurt, perhaps with a dab of mango chutney, would be delicious. Alternatively, try mixing some rhubarb or even gooseberry compote with your yoghurt.

Eat immediately, perhaps with plain or garlic naan bread and lentils.