Braised Liver and Onions Recipe with Bacon

Braised liver and onions with onion gravy, crispy bacon, mashed potato and peas.

Braised Liver and Onions Recipe with Bacon

Liver, bacon and onions may not be everyone's idea of a perfect last meal, but it is definitely in my shortlist. I ADORE this recipe, it is gloriously old-fashioned, and it is loaded with flavour!

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Keyword braised liver, braised liver and onions, liver and gravy with onions, liver and onions

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Soaking Time 1

Total Time 1 50

Servings Servings

Calories 1018kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

350 g Beef (Ox) or Pork Liver 12oz
250 ml Milk 1 Cup
2 Large Onions 400g
1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
10 Rashers Smoked Streaky Bacon 175g
25 g Butter 2 tablespoon
375 ml Beef Stock 1½ Cups
1 tablespoon Tomato Puree
1 teaspoon Marmite
3 tablespoon Flour
1 teaspoon Dried Sage
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions

Oven Braising Instructions (See Video Below the Recipe):

Slice the liver and trim it of any fat or sinew. Place the liver in a shallow bowl, pour over the milk and allow it to soak for an hour.
Whilst the liver is soaking, cut the onions in half, peel them and then cut them into 5mm (¼) thick half-moon shapes.
Add the cooking oil to a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a medium heat, then toss in the onions and caramelise them for 50-60 minutes. They will need stirring occasionally and if there is a heavy build-up of "fond" on the base of the pan, add a splash of water and stir until it has evaporated.
When the onions are nicely caramelised, and the liver has been soaking for an hour, remove them from the pan and set them aside.
Cut 6 of the rashers of bacon into thin batons.
Remove the liver from the milk and pat dry, then dredge season it with the salt and pepper and dredge it in the flour.
Return the pan to a medium-high heat and add the butter, and when the butter begins to foam, quickly sear off the liver on both sides. You will need to do this in 2-3 batches, then set aside.
Add the bacon batons to the pan and fry them until they begin to crisp up.
Return the onions to the pan, add the tomato puree and dried sage, then cook for a minute or two.
Pour in the beef stock, stir in the marmite and return the liver and any resting juices to the pan.
Spread out the liver in the pan, cover with a lid and cook in the oven at 150°C or 300°C for 60 minutes.
Sandwich the slices of bacon between two baking trays and bake in the oven with the liver for 40-45 minutes. Time this so that it is finished at the same time as the liver. Then serve

Instant Pot Instructions:

Soak the liver in the milk as above.
If you want caramelised onions (which I would advise), you also need to do steps 2 and 3 from above on the stovetop because you cannot get the saute temperature low enough on the Instant Pot.
However, you can just sweat down the onions on saute mode of the IP if you wish, then remove them
Add the butter to the IP, then sear the liver on both sides and then remove.
Add in the sliced bacon and cook for 5 minutes, then throw in the onion and cook for another 10 minutes.
Sandwich the slices of bacon between two baking trays and bake in the oven at 180°C or 350°C for 30-35 minutes.
Return the liver to the pan and add the stock, tomato puree and sage along with any resting juices.
Seal the Instant Pot and cook on manual mode, high pressure for 5-minutes with a 10-minute natural release.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Follow the instructions for steps 1-9 from the oven-braised instructions. Then transfer all of the seared ingredients to a slow cooker.
Deglaze the pan with the stock and pour it into the slow cooker, then cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

Video

Notes

If you like your gravy a little thicker you can make a cornflower slurry (1½ teaspoons of cornflower with equal amounts of water), the stir it through the gravy for the last couple of minutes.

Nutrition