A Recipe For Braised Liver With Onions
Old Fashioned Cooking -Memories from My Childhood Days
Again, after my Dad took us on that early meat market run, was always a Friday and that heralded the Saturday of Brawn making and many other culinary delights.
My mother had two special recipes which required an ingredient that cost very little, if anything. The major problem was that it was seasonable in those days, long long ago. When the season was right, and lambs were plentiful, then they would very often have a surplus of these, therefore as we were regulars, also depending on the size of our order, the required four or five pounds of this to us, lambs liver, or commonly called lambs fry, would be given to us.
Coming back from the market, the early mornings, just as the sun was rising, Hastily transferring those parcels of meat from the boot and backseat of the car, to the kitchen and the bar for mom and dad to pack them away.
This task completed, we would all sit down for a cooked breakfast, which invariably comprised of eggs, bacon, fried tomato and onion, perhaps a sausage or fried polony and toast, with a freshly peculated cup of coffee. To me this was the best part of the whole trip, it is what made that day special.
Not that we did not have a cooked breakfast every day, but our routines and departing times from home would never allow for that to happen too often during the week.
That what made that Friday so special, my brother, Mom, Dad and I.
One of those Fry Recipes
This is one of those recipes that my mom would cook up, usually the same night that we had been to the market.
I could always tell, the minute I returned from school or swimming training, I did not need to walk into the kitchen. As the delicious aromas of the braised liver and onions permeated through the apartment. That nights supper table, was on of my favourites, the aromas of fried onions together with the seasoned meat which had been simmering away, gave that dish its a very distinct and unique aroma.
I am the little guy!
A traditional winter warmer for those cold nights
Braised Liver and Onions
Ingredients
500g of Lambs fry (you can use beef liver if you prefer)
4 large onions
25ml of mixed herbs
15 ml of parsley
½ cup of seasoned flour
2ml of baking powder
125g of shoulder bacon
3 large ripe tomatoes(optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
5ml of sugar
Oil for deep-frying
5ml of Soy Sauce
5ml of Worcester sauce
5ml of cornstarch
Water
Method
Wash and clean off the membranes, sinews etc., from the liver, then cut it into strips of about the thickness and length of your middle finger. While still moist, season with salt, pepper, then and coat the liver with the seasoned flour.
Bring the oil to temperature for frying. Brown the liver, a little at a time, to a nice golden colour. Finely chop the bacon, onions and tomatoes, then add this to the frying pan and cook until both the onions and bacon have cooked through. Once you have fried all the liver, drain the oil leaving a little bit in the pan. Place the chopped onions in the pan. Cook till transparent. Add the herbs, fry until the onions are a good brown colour, and the bacon is crispy. Add the tomatoes and sugar, reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Make a smooth paste using the cornstarch, Worcester and soy sauces, add some of the water, mix until smooth, and add this mixture to the liver onion, bacon and tomato mix. Let the gravy thicken and then add more water, if desired, and let it cook.
Either serve the liver and onions with mashed potatoes and peas, or Spicy fried baby potatoes and peas.
