Liver and Bacon

[Meat and Offal]

450g/1lb calves or lambs liver, skinned and sliced

seasoned plain flour

55g/2oz butter

1 onion, thinly sliced

6 rashers of rindless bacon

290ml/½ brown stock

2 tablespoons sherry

1. Heat half the butter in a pan and fry onion slowly until soft and brown. Tip the onion into a saucer.

2. Preheat the grill. Grill the bacon until crisp and brown but not brittle. Turn off the grill but leave bacon under it to keep warm.

3. Remove any large tubes from the liver. Dip in the seasoned flour and keep well separated on a plate.

4. Heat the remaining butter in the pan and fry the liver slices, a few at a time, adding more butter if necessary. Note the liver is easily spoiled if overcooked. Arrange slices on a warmed shallow platter and keep warm.

5. Put onion and any of its fat back in the pan and add a sprinkling of seasoned flour, just enough to absorb the fat. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in the stock and stir well as it comes to the boil. Add the sherry.

6. Boil the sauce rapidly to reduce and thicken it. This will also give a richer appearance and concentrate the flavour. Check the seasoning.

7. Pour over the liver, top with bacon and serve immediately as liver toughens on standing.