Old Fashioned Liver and Onions Recipe
Seasoned liver pieces are pan-fried with onions, bacon and apples in this old-fashioned liver and onion recipe. Recipe bonus: how to cook liver in the oven plus instructions for the sauce.
Servings 4
Calories 473kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 lb beef liver (or veal, calf, or pork liver as preferred) about 500 g
- ½ cup milk (optional - see notes)
- 2 yellow onions large
- 4 rashers bacon (poultry bacon will also do fine)
- ⅓ cup olive oil (or preferred cooking oil)
- ⅓ cup flour (all-purpose, arrowroot or tapioca flour)
- 1 apple
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
GRAVY
- 2 tablespoon butter or clarified butter or margarine
- 2 tablespoon flour (arrowroot for paleo or all-purpose)
- 1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon ground onion (onion powder)
- ½ teaspoon salt (or more, to taste)
Instructions
Old fashioned liver and onions - frying method
- Place the liver in a colander and rinse it under running water to remove excess blood. Pat dry with a kitchen towel.
- Remove any tough membrane from the liver's surface. Optionally, soak the liver in milk for about 30 minutes to reduce the strong liver smell.
- Next, slice the apple and onions and set them aside for later.
- Slice the liver into servable pieces, each about 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
- Add the flour, garlic powder, and ginger powder to a bowl and stir to combine (see notes below). Do not add salt at this point, as this will drain the moisture from the liver and make your liver dry.⅓ cup flour , 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- Dust the liver pieces with the flour mixture making sure to shake off excess flour.
- On medium-high heat, drizzle the oil in a skillet. Sauté onions and apple until slightly browned, then set aside.2 yellow onions, 4 rashers bacon, ⅓ cup olive oil, 1 apple, 1 lb beef liver (or veal, calf, or pork liver as preferred)
- Crisp the bacon on both sides and also set this aside.
- Brown the dusted liver for 3-5 minutes per side, or until properly browned.
- Once fried, transfer the liver to a plate, layer with bacon, onions, and apples. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm, then proceed to make the sauce.
- Prepare the gravy as per the method described below. To serve, place the fried beef liver, onions, bacon, and apples on a serving plate. Season with salt and generously drizzle the gravy on top. Enjoy your old-fashioned liver and onions with a side dish of your choice!½ teaspoon salt
How to cook liver in the oven
- Rinse the liver under running water, removing any visible membrane from its surface. Optionally, you can soakthe liver in milk for 30 minutes to reduce its strong flavor.
- Slice the apple and onion, settingthem aside. Cut the liver into serving pieces, approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick.
- In a bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, and ginger powder. Dust the liver slices in this flour mixture, ensuring each piece is well-coated. Gently tap off any excess flour. Refrain from adding salt now to prevent the liver from drying out.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions and apples until they turn translucent and gain a slightly browned hue. Transfer half of this mix to a casserole dish, reserving the other half. In the same skillet, fry the bacon until crisp, approximately a minute per side. Set aside.
- Proceed to fry the sliced liver for about 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer the liver to the casserole dish so that you now have onions and apples at the bottom, the liver in the middle, and finally, the remaining onions and apples. Lay the bacon on top, drizzle with gravy (see gravy instructions below), cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 20 minutes at 365° F (approximately 180° C). Once done, season with salt, then serve.
Sauce
- Melt butter under low heat. Add in the flour, black pepper, onion powder, garlic, and ginger powder then use a whisk to stir. Continue stirring until it turns brown (for about 3-5 minutes).2 tablespoon butter or clarified butter, 2 tablespoon flour, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon ginger powder
- Once browned, add the stock and allow to simmer for a further 2 minutes.1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
- Continue whisking until thick then serve with the fried liver or drizzle on top of the casserole dish to bake.
Video
Notes
- To prevent the liver from turning chewy, make sure to remove the tough, outside membrane.
- The soaking of the liver in milk is optional, and you can use non-dairy milk such as almond milk.
- Feel free to add your favorite herbs or seasonings to the flour coating.
- Make paleo and gluten-free liver and onions by using a gluten-free blend such as tapioca flour or arrowroot flour. For a Keto or low-carb alternative, use a mixture of almond flour and parmesan cheese.
- Add more stock if you prefer a lighter and thinner sauce or gravy.
- Store your liver and onions in suitable airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days. Liver tastes best when consumed fresh but if you really have to freeze, then freeze your leftovers in a suitable, properly labeled, airtight container (bearing a description and best-by date). Consume frozen liver within 3 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 473kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 326mg | Sodium: 518mg | Potassium: 549mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 19196IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 25mg | Iron: 6mg