Category: Liver

Liver & Apples

  • As you might know from previous posts – I love liver.
  • I used lambs liver – but use pork or beef if that is want you have or like.
  • In Poland calf’s liver is thought to be the best.
  • I saw this combination ages ago and have only just had time to make it – it is super.
  • Use two frying pans to make this – it is easier.

INGREDIENTS

  • Around 100g liver per person
  • 2  apples
  • 2 small onions
  • Butter & sunflower oil  for frying

METHOD 

  • Best to make this using 2 frying pans.
  • Slice the liver thinly.
  • Cut the onions in half and slice thinly.
  • Core the apple and cut into thick slices – keep the skin on in parts of it  – remove any blemishes 
  • Fry the onions gently in the butter and oil mixture.
  • Add the apple pieces and heat these with the onions until they are soft.
  • Keep this warm whilst you cook the liver.
  • Fry the liver in another pan – to the degree of cooking you like (I like it slightly pink).
  • Serve the liver and the onion and apple mix together.
  • This apple and onion mixture was so delicious I will be using this again with pork chops or pork loin.
  • Served on oval plates – Johnstons Snowflake.

Liver with Potato Topping

Here are a couple of super liver recipes.

I have also found that the potato topping is easy to make and is so delicious and will be using this for other recipes.

The first recipe is a version for liver and onions with sage and the second recipe does not use sage but has fresh mushrooms in the mixture.

Ingredients – version 1

450g pig’s or lamb’s liver

1 tablespoon of plain flour

3 onions

Large handful of sage leaves

250ml of chicken stock

500g of starchy potatoes

500ml of milk & water

1 tablespoon of butter

Butter & sunflower oil for frying

Salt & pepper

Method – version 1

Butter a rectangular ovenproof dish.

Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.

Cut the potatoes into thin slices.

Par-boil them for 5 minutes in the milk and water.

Remove the potatoes from the liquid.

*

Slice the onions and fry them in a butter and oil mixture until golden.

Season and add to the buttered dish.

Slice the liver into small pieces.

Dip the pieces in flour.

Fry in the butter and oil mixture on both sides.

Season and add to the onions.

Mix the liver and onions together.

Add the sage leaves and stir.

Pour the stock over the liver and onions.

*

Arrange the par-boiled potato slices over the liver and onions.

Cover the whole of the dish.

Cover the dish with a piece of foil.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour.

Melt the butter.

Remove the foil.

Pour the butter over the potatoes.

Put back in the oven and bake for at least 30minutes.

Served on Royal Doulton – Carnation – 1982 – 1998

Ingredients – version 2

As in version 1 but without the sage

150ml stock – a mushroom stock cube is good

200g sliced mushrooms

Method – version 2

As in version 1 plus

Fry the mushrooms and add them to the liver and onions.

Served on Royal Doulton – Tapestry – 1966 – 1988

Liver & Pineapple

  • I saw a recipe for liver with pineapples and thought that it should be good.
  • It is a variation on my simple recipe in lovely liver.
  • Use lamb, ox or pig’s liver – whichever you like best.

Ingredients

  • Around 100g of liver per person.
  • 1 or 2 onions (I like lots of onions with the liver).
  • Tinned pineapples – 1 or 2 rings per person – and the juice.
  • Italian herbs
  • 1 -2 tablespoons of plain flour
  • Butter & sunflower oil to fry
  • Salt & pepper

Method

  • It is easiest to make this using 3 pans or 2 pans and a grill.
  • Fry the onions in butter & sunflower oil till golden.
  • Thinly slice the liver.
  • Coat the liver in a mixture of flour and pepper.
  • Lightly pan fry the liver slices in a mixture of butter & sunflower oil on both sides.
  • Sprinkle on some Italian herbs.
  • Add around 150 ml of  vegetable stock (can be from a cube, concentrate or powder) … depends on the size of your pan & the juice.
  • Put the lid on the pan (a glass lid is good for this) and simmer gently for 2 -3  minutes.  (The time will depend on the thickness of the slices)
  • Heat the pineapple rings on both sides on a grill or in a frying pan.
  • Add the onions to the fried liver and mix together.
  • Season to taste.
  • Put the onions and liver into a warm shallow serving dish.
  • Place the pineapple rings on top and serve.

 

Serve with boiled potatoes, rice or noodles.

 

 

More Lovely Liver!

  • For many people  – liver is love it or loath it.
  • I think certainly for me and most Poles it is love it!
  • I have written about cooking liver in 2018.
  • I had some liver that I had got to make dinner last night.
  • I had cooked some leeks and peas, which I use as a filling for  buckwheat pancakes.
  • I also had a red pepper left and decided to combine them all.
  • It turned out really delicious
  • *
  • The amounts are not critical – depends on how many you are cooking this for.

Ingredients

  • Liver – whichever you like best
  • 2-3 leeks – chopped into rings
  • 100g of frozen peas
  • 1 red pepper – chopped
  • 2-3 tablespoons of soured cream.
  • Butter & sunflower oil for frying
  • Flour for dusting the liver
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method

  • You need two large deep frying pans to made this.
  • In one frying pan melt the butter and gently cook the leeks to soften them but not brown.
  • Add the frozen peas and cover with a lid and cook for a few minutes.
  • Stir the mixture and add the soured cream.

 

  • Dip the liver in flour.
  • In the other frying pan lightly  fry the liver slices in a mixture of butter & sunflower oil on both sides.
  • Add the chopped peppers and simmer for a few minutes.
  • Mix the liver and peppers with the leek mixture.
  • Season to taste.
  • Serve immediately.

 

 

Delicious with boiled potatoes, creamy mashed potatoes, boiled rice, noodles or pasta such as tagliatelle or just with fresh bread.

 

 

 

 

Savoury Ducks

  • I have been looking at old North of England recipes and came across Savoury Ducks , which are also known as Faggots.
  • I think they are similar to  Polish liver pulpety .
  • They are made from pig’s liver, oats and sage and served hot with gravy.
  • Originally they would have been wrapped in caul – a thin lacy looking membrane of animal fat – and then cooked. Nowadays this is hard to find.
  • The origin of the names is obscure.
  • Use of the words savoury ducks was recorded 1840.
  • Some think it is a reference to the conical shape, which is like a duck’s egg.
  • The word faggots originally mean a bundle of sticks tied with string.
  • In 1851 the word faggots was noted as a type of meatball.

Ingredients

  • 500g pig’s liver
  • 150g of belly pork
  • 2 medium onions
  • 2 or 3 sprigs of thyme
  • Lots of fresh sage leaves
  • 1 egg – beaten
  • Salt and pepper
  • 100g oatmeal or rolled oats blitzed
  • Salt & pepper
  • Plain flour for shaping –  or
  • 50g butter or lard – if using tray method

    Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4– 180°C.
  • Slice the liver, onions and pork thinly.
  • Put in an oven proof dish, which has a lid, with the thyme, sage, salt and pepper and cover with water.
  • Cook for 1 – 1 ½ hours.
  • Strain off the liquid and save for the gravy.
  • Add more fresh sage leaves to the cooked ingredients.
  • Mince (or use a mini-chopper)the cooked liver, meat, onions and extra sage finely.
  • Add the beaten egg and oatmeal to make into a fairly firm mixture.
  • Leave for around 20 minutes.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM6 – 200°C.
  • With floured hands form the mixture into small balls.
  • Place in a baking tin with some of the strained liquid at the bottom.
  • Bake for 45 minutes until nicely browned.
  • Serve with thickened gravy made with more fresh sage.

Variation

  • An easier option is to press the mixture into a well greased baking dish.
  • Mark out into squares.
  • Dot the top with the butter or lard.
  • Again bake for 45 minutes and serve with thickened gravy made with more fresh sage.

Haslet

I have been looking at old North of England recipes and came across haslet – which reminds me of Polish pasztet or paté.

  • The name haslet or acelet – comes from Old French – hastilles which means entrails.
  • Traditionally it was made with a mixture of offal such as heart, kidney, liver, and sweetbreads.
  • Liver is most popular and pig’s liver most of all.
  • Oatmeal is used – one of the staples in the North of England.
  • Sage* is used –  a very popular herb in England
  • Originally the mixture would have been cover in caul – a thin lacy looking membrane of animal fat – and then cooked.
  • Nowadays this is hard to find – so butter or lard can be used in adapted recipes.
  • Haslet is usually eaten cold, in slices, often with pickles.

Ingredients

  • 500g pig’s liver
  • 2 onions.
  • 100g oatmeal or rolled oats blitzed
  • Lots of fresh sage
  • Salt & pepper
  • 50g butter or lard.

Method

  • Peel the onions – leave them whole.
  • Place in a saucepan with a little water and with the lid on – gently simmer till soft.
  • Leave the onions until they are cold.
  • Mince (or use a mini-chopper) the liver and onions.
  • Add the liver mixture to the oatmeal in a bowl – mix and leave for around 10 minutes.
  • Pre-heat the oven to GM7 – 220°C.
  • Line a small roasting tin with foil and grease well.
  • Chop the sage and add with salt and pepper to the mixture.
  • Place the mixture in the roasting tin and dot the top with the butter or lard.
  • Bake for around 35 minutes.

 

*Sage – Salvia officinalis –  szałwia – in Polish – was brought to Britain by the Romans. It was a popular cooking herb in Tudor times.

Salvia comes from the Latin word salvere, which means to heal and it is known for its antibacterial properties.

Sage is a member of the mint family and is a Mediterranean herb.

 

Serving dish – Blue Mist – Burleigh Ware by Burges and Leigh Ltd from the 1930s.

Liver Pulpety Served in Green Soup

I wrote about pulpety over three years ago. They are small meatballs which are simmered, often in stock, not fried.

They are often used as an accompaniment for soup,

In this recipe the liver pulpety are cooked directly in the soup and served with it.

Ingredients – Pulpety

  • 150g of pork liver or chicken liver
  • 1 beaten egg
  • 1 tablespoon of chopped flat-leaved parsley.
  • 60g-80g of dried breadcrumbs – see Breadcrumbs – Bułka tarta
  • Salt & pepper
  • *
  • Some plain flour for your hands for shaping.

Method -Pulpety

  • Mince the liver or wizz in a mini-chopper.
  • In a large bowl mix all the liver, egg and parsley together.
  • Add salt & pepper.
  • Add enough dried breadcrumbs so that it is a firm mixture – best to do this using both hands, making sure that all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  • Put some flour in a dish for your hands to make it easier to shape the pulpety.
  • Pinch off small bits of the mixture and roll the piece between your hands to make small round balls and place these onto a floured board or tray whilst you make them all.
  • *
  • Leave these to chill in a cool place or in the fridge.

Ingredients – Soup

  • 1 litre of vegetable stock – can be from a cube or powder
  • 100g frozen peas
  • 100g frozen whole green peas
  • Bunch of spring onions
  • 2-3 tablespoons of butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method – Soup

  • Chop the green beans  into small pieces similar in size to the peas.
  • Chop the green and white parts of the spring onions in to small pieces.
  • In a large pan melt the butter.
  • Add the chopped spring onions and fry gently till golden.
  • Add the peas and beans.
  • Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer gently until the peas and peas are cooked.
  • Season to taste.
  • Bring the soup up to the boil.
  • Drop the pulpety into the boiling liquid and then let them simmer for around 5 -7 minutes.

To serve

Polish style would be to have 3-5 pulpety in a bowl of soup –  but for a light lunch  have a large bowl of soup with lots of pulpety per serving.

 

Pasztet – Pâté

Most Polish households have their own recipe for  pasztet.

Pasztet translates as pâté and is made with liver and other meats,  both cooked and uncooked, often with smoked bacon.  Left over cooked meats can be used.

Pasztet is a baked pâté – more a terrine & usually the sort of pâté you slice rather than spread. (A sort of liver based meat loaf).

Many recipes use rabbit but I have not included this as it is not as readily available but  I hope try this in the future.

Pork shoulder is good to use and this can be casseroled first in a chicken or vegetable stock or left over from a roast.

Cooked chicken can be roasted or poached once again in a chicken or vegetable stock.

It is good if you have a mincer to mince the meat, however I do not have one and have used a stick blender to blend the liver and a sharp knife to finely chop the cooked meat and bacon.

Pasztet is often cooked in a  loaf tin – but I thought my quantities looked too large for my tin and have used a rectangular Pyrex dish – 19 x 24 x 8cm.

The cooking times quoted are approximate  – it will depend on the amount of mixture and the depth in the dish.

Recipe 1

Country Style Pasztet

The original recipe used finely chopped shoulder pork – I used minced outdoor breed pork.

I used smoked streaky bacon as Polish bacon tends to be fatter than English bacon and this is the nearest.

The amounts of meats does not have to be exact.

Ingredients

  • 500g minced pork
  • 350 streaky bacon (rind removed)
  • 350 – 450g of chicken livers
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons of dried breadcrumbs
  • 2 cloves of garlic  – chopped fine
  • 1 teaspoon of Italian herbs or marjoram
  • Salt – maybe a little but often the bacon is salty enough
  • Pepper
  • Butter for greasing the dish.

Method

  • Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.
  • Chop the bacon into small squares.
  • Blend the chicken livers using a small blender or stick blender.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

  • Butter the dish well.
  • Place the mixture into the dish and smooth down the top.
  • Cover the dish with foil.
  • Place the dish in a roasting tin with added water.

Cook for around 70 minutes.

Remove the foil and cook for a further hour without the foil (more if necessary).

Leave to cool completely and then refrigerate for several hours.

Slice to serve.

Decorated here with fresh bay leaves – you can use parsley or similar.

Recipe 2

Chicken Pasztet

Any poultry can be used here – this is good way to use up roast turkey – you can even freeze the cooked turkey meat for a pasztet in the future.

Ingredients

450g chicken livers

3 onions

6 tablespoons of butter

600 – 700g of cooked chicken meat (I used breast meat as that is what I had – but thigh meat  would or a mixture is also good)

Dilute vegetable stock (can be from a cube or powder)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of Italian herbs or marjoram

1 teaspoon of sweet paprika

Salt and pepper

Method

Slice the onions and fry them till soften in the butter.

Add the chicken livers and cook them through.

20180602_081248

Leave to cool completely.

Blend the liver and onions – I used a stick blender.

Place the cooked chicken in a pan and cover with dilute vegetable stock and simmer gently , stirring often.

You want the meat to be soft and falling apart and the liquid to have been absorbed.

Leave to cool completely.

Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.

Chop the meat as finely as possible.

Mix the meat and liver together.

Add the eggs, Italian herbs & sweet paprika.

Add salt and pepper.

Butter the dish well.

Place the mixture into the dish and smooth down the top.

Cover the dish with foil.

Place the dish in a roasting tin with added water.

Cook for around 1 hour.

Remove the foil and cook for a further hour without the foil (more if necessary).

Leave to cool completely and then refrigerate for several hours.

Slice to serve.

Served on a dish – Made in England by H & K Tunstall

Recipe 3

Pork Pasztet

600 – 700g cooked pork (from a casserole or roast)

Dilute vegetable stock (can be from a cube or powder)

250g smoked bacon (rind removed)

250g pork, veal or chicken livers

1 large onion

4 tablespoons of butter & extra for greasing the dish.

3 eggs

6 tablespoons of dried breadcrumbs & extra for the baking dish and top

250ml of milk

2 teaspoons of Italian herbs or marjoram

1 teaspoon of sweet paprika

Salt & Pepper

Method

Place the cooked pork in a pan and cover with dilute vegetable stock and simmer gently, stirring often.

Chop the bacon into small squares and add to the pork and simmer for another 20 minutes.

You want the meat to be soft and falling apart and the liquid to have been absorbed.

Leave to cool completely.

Chop the meat as finely as possible.

Slice the onion and fry it till softened in the butter.

Add the liver and cook it through.

Sprinkle with salt.

Leave to cool completely.

Blend the liver and onion –  I used a stick blender.

Pre-heat the oven to GM4 – 180°C.

In a large bowl throughly mix all the ingredients together.

Butter the dish and sprinkle with dried breadcrumbs.

Place the mixture into the dish and smooth the top with a spoon.

Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs.

Cover the dish with foil.

Place the dish in a roasting tin with added water.

Cook for around 80 minutes.

Remove the foil and cook for a further hour without the foil (more if necessary).

Leave to cool completely and then refrigerate for several hours.

Slice to serve.

Served on a dish by Portmeirion – Dawn Chorus – designed by Sophie Conran in the 21st century.

Easy Pâté

Not long to go now and I will have been blogging for 3 Years.

This is my 150th Post!

The Polish for pâté is pasztet.

Pasztet recipes tend to be for large cooked pâtés which are served as slices – I will be looking at recipes for these later.

Here I am looking at 2 easy recipes using chicken livers which are very simple to make.

These are more spready pâtés – which you can put into a large dish or into individual pots.

I could not find any fresh chicken livers in my local shops but did find tubs of frozen chicken liver – they contain around 225g per tub and the cost was very reasonable.

Soaking the livers

All my recipe books say to soak the livers for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours in milk – to help remove any bitterness.

I do not remember doing this in the past but decided to try this out – they tasted lovely – not sure how much was due to the soaking.

Chicken liver pâté version 1

Ingredients

  • 450g chicken livers
  • 50g butter
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs (or chopped fresh herbs such as oregano and thyme if you have them)
  • 6 tablespoons of sherry or marsala or brandy.
  • Salt & Pepper

Method

  • Soak the livers for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours in milk.
  • Drain the milk off and pat dry the livers.
  • Chop the onion into small pieces.
  • Peel and chop the garlic.
  • In a frying pan melt the butter and add the onion and garlic.
  • Fry gently to soften the onion.
  • Add the herbs.
  • Add the chicken livers, mix and fry gently for 10 – 12 minutes, you can use a spatula to help break up the livers as they cook.
  • Sprinkle with salt and ground pepper, mix and then leave to go cold. (I often do this at night and then the rest the next day).
  • Place the cold cooked livers into a large bowl and use a stick blender start blending it all together.
  • Add the sherry and continue blending until you have a smooth paste.
  • Place the mixture into a large dish or into individual ramekin pots – mine made 4 pots.
  • Cover the pots with clingfilm and refrigerate them for around 3 hours.

Served here with toasted rye bread and gherkins.

Served on La prune by Jet for Ter Steege of the Netherlands.

Chicken liver pâté version 2

This is more creamy and spreadble than version 1

Ingredients

450g chicken livers

50g butter

1 small onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs (or chopped fresh herbs such as oregano and thyme if you have them).

2 – 3 tablespoons of creme fraishe or soured cream

1-2 tablespoons  of sherry or marsala or brandy.

Salt & Pepper

Method

Soak the livers for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours in milk.

Drain the milk off and pat dry the livers.

Chop the onion into small pieces.

Peel and chop the garlic.

In a frying pan melt the butter and add the onion and garlic.

Fry gently to soften the onion.

Add the herbs.

Add the chicken livers, mix and fry gently for 10 – 12 minutes, you can use a spatula to help break up the livers as they cook.

Sprinkle with salt and ground pepper, mix and then leave to go cold. (I often do this at night and then the rest the next day).

Place the cold cooked livers into a large bowl and use a stick blender start blending it all together.

Add crème fraiche and the sherry and continue blending until you have a smooth paste.

Place the mixture into a large dish or into individual ramekin pots – mine made 6 pots.

Cover the pots with clingfilm and refrigerate them for around 3 hours.

Served here with toasted rye bread.

Chicken Livers

Having written about liver in general in Lovely Liver!  I thought I would also look at chicken livers in particular.

These would have featured in my shopping on a regular basic many years ago but have been somewhat neglected in recent years – this will now change!

I could not find any fresh chicken livers in my local shops but did find tubs of frozen chicken liver – they contain around 225g per tub and the cost was very reasonable.

20180513_155419

Soaking the livers

All my recipe books say to soak the livers for at least 1 hour – to help remove any bitterness.

I do not remember doing this in the past but decided to try this out – they tasted lovely – not sure how much was due to the soaking.

Buttery Chicken Livers with Onions

450 -500g of chicken livers

500ml of milk

3-4 tablespoons of plain flour

3 onions

4-5 tablespoons  of butter

1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning

Salt & pepper

Method

Put the chicken livers in a bowl with the milk and leave for at least an hour.

Drain them off and pat them dry and dredge them in the flour.

Cut the onions in half and cut them into thin slices.

Fry the onion gently in some of the butter until they are golden brown.

In a separate pan fry the floured chicken livers on all sides for 2-3 minutes.

Sprinkle them with the Italian seasoning, mix well and cook for a further few minutes.

Add the livers to the onions and mix well.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

These are best served with something quite plain such as boiled rice or crusty rolls and maybe a tomato salad.

Chicken Livers with Apples

450 -500g of chicken livers

6 tablespoons of butter

2 to 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil

2 onions

2 eating apples (I used Pink Lady)

1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

Salt & pepper

Method

  • This really needs 3 frying pans!
  • I have described each as a separate stage but you can  do these at the same time.
  • Cut the onions into half and then slice into thin half circles.
  • In one frying pan,  fry the onions gently in 3 tablespoons of butter until they are golden.
  • Peel and core the apples and cut them into quarters.
  • In another frying pan, melt the 1 tablespoon of butter and heat the apples gently on all sides.

  • Add the tablespoon of sugar and continue to cook on a low heat for 2-3 minutes until the sugar starts to caramelise.
  • Add the apples to the onions and mix together.

  • In a separate pan melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
  • Fry the chicken livers in the butter, stirring and turning them for around 3-4  minutes.
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Mix the livers with the apples and onions.

Good served with crusty bread.