Liver and Onions
Liver forgives almost anything except overcooking — once it turns grey inside it goes tight and rubbery. So we give the onions all the time they need to soften and sweeten, then fry the liver hard and fast. A splash of water at the end lifts the browned bits into a short, glossy gravy.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 380 kcal
Ingredients
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What to use instead
Pork liver works but tastes stronger. To mellow it, soak the slices in milk for 30 minutes, then dry them well.
Makes: 4 servings
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
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Step 1: Prep the liver
Lift the thin membrane on the liver with the tip of a knife and peel it away with your fingers. Cut out any large tubes, slice the liver 1 cm thick and pat dry with kitchen paper.
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Step 2: Cook the onions
Thinly slice the onions into half-moons. Heat 2 tbsp oil with half the butter, add the onions and a pinch of the salt and cook over medium heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and caramel-gold. Tip onto a plate.
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Step 3: Flour the liver
Mix the flour with the pepper, dredge the liver slices and shake off the excess. Do this right before frying so the flour doesn’t turn damp.
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Step 4: Fry fast
Add the rest of the oil and butter to the pan and heat over high heat. Lay the liver in a single layer and fry for 1½–2 minutes per side until well browned; cook in two batches if needed.
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Step 5: Check doneness
Cut into the thickest slice: the inside should be an even light brown with only a faint rosy tinge and the juices should run clear, not red (about 70 °C). Grey all the way through means it has gone too far.
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Step 6: Make a quick gravy
Return the onions to the pan, season the liver with the rest of the salt, pour in the water and shake the pan so it lifts the browned flour into a short gravy. Heat for 1 minute, then take off the heat.
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Step 7: Serve
Scatter with chopped parsley and serve straight away, with mashed potatoes or buckwheat.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Liver keeps cooking in its own heat, so pull it as soon as the juices run clear — a minute on the plate brings it exactly to where you want it.
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Swap
Pork liver works but tastes stronger. To mellow it, soak the slices in milk for 30 minutes, then dry them well.
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Variation
Swap the water for 3 tbsp soured cream at the end and warm it through without boiling for a mellow, creamy gravy.
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Storage
Best eaten straight away. It keeps for a day in the fridge; reheat briefly, covered, over low heat with a spoonful of water.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 4 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 380 kcal | 1,520 kcal |
| Protein | 32 g | 128 g |
| Fat | 20 g | 80 g |
| Carbohydrates | 18 g | 72 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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