Liver and Onions

 With my food, there are some things that I have to be in the mood to eat, otherwise I just cannot face them. I am like that with bog standard mushrooms as well. With us having been a bit off colour for the past few days, I thought that it was essential that we got some good food into us that would not be complicated to make, but which would be substantial and tasty.

When I was at home with my birth family, Mum used to regularly make Liver and Onions served with mash and sometimes other vegetables.  A good warming meal on a cold day.  Many people go yuck at the thought of Liver, but it can be a cheap meal that goes a long way.

Mum used to make Liver and Onions in a casserole dish with stock or water, some Thyme and sliced onions and a little white pepper.  That is the way she always used to make it.

When I was married, I used to make it the same way.

Current OH, kind of put a spanner in the works as he prefers his liver "Blue", and I mean "Blue".  Him eating Liver like this really put me off it for a while.

However last week we had bought some Pigs Liver from the Butchers.  It is usually quite nice-good quality Liver.  When it was bought, I said that I would buy enough to make the Liver casserole as it had been a while since I had this to eat.  I was in the mood for the Liver.

I tend to use Pigs Liver for casseroles or that type of meal.  I do like Lamb's Liver as well, but prefer that for a mixed grill type meal, which is also something we have not had in a long while.

Ingredients:

1lb Pigs Liver

Three medium sized onions

2 pints stock or water

White Pepper

Thyme

Mixed Herbs

Marigold Vegetable stock powder

Cranberry Jelly

Gravy Browning

Thickener

Method:

Before cooking Liver there are a few things I like to do.

At least an hour before starting to cook with it, I like to soak the raw meat in milk.  This takes away any bitter juices associated with the meat and makes it "sweeter" and better flavoured.

The milk is then drained off and discarded.  I dry the Liver off, and then flour it in seasoned flour on both sides.  It is then gently fried off in a pan and added to a large casserole dish.

I then add in either a couple of pints of water, or stock to the Liver, three medium sized onions sliced, add a couple of Bay leaves, some white pepper, some Marigold vegetable powder, some Cranberry jelly, some mixed herbs and some thyme. It is then cooked for a couple of hours Gas Mark 5 in the oven.  The Pigs Liver should by this time be quite tender.  Then add in your thickeners and extra browning if required.  

Today mine was cooked in the Ninja Foodi, rather than the casserole dish and I pressure cooked it for 25 minutes which made it nice and tender.

Has gone down very nicely and has been particularly warming. The Liver came out nice and tender.  As usual there is plenty left over for seconds tomorrow, probably for tomorrow at lunch time.  Tomorrow night we have chicken for tea. Lots of cosy warming food on the agenda.  I was going to make some onion soup today as well.  OH, was not in the mood for soup though.  I still may make some as I quite like it.

Otherwise, it has been a day of housework, washing, drying and I have a big heap of ironing to do as well at some point. Hopefully might get something done on the Preserves front this evening, even if it is only one project.  Will see what happens, now I am now "firing on all piston's" again.

Off to get a Mazawati coffee (coffee with a tot of Rum).

Catch you soon.

Pattypan

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