Pan-Fried Calves Liver Recipe with Onions, Bacon and Sage

Pan fried calves liver with onion and bacon gravy, swede and carrot mash, beans and sage.

Pan-Fried Calves Liver Recipe with Onions, Bacon and Sage

Calves liver is often considered the finest and here it is quickly pan-fried in butter and served with a gravy made from Marsala wine, beef stock, onions and bacon and then finished with crispy sage leaves.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Modern British

Keyword Calves Liver Recipe, calves liver with bacon and onions, pan fried calves liver

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Servings Servings

Calories 757kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

For the Onion and Bacon Gravy:

1 Medium-Large Onion 150g
3-4 Rashers Smoked Streaky Bacon 100g
75 ml Marsala Wine ⅓ Cup
125 ml Beef Stock ½ Cup
25 g Butter 2 tablespoon
Pinch of Salt to taste, this may not be required depending on your stock

For the Liver:

350-375 g Calves Liver 12oz (1cm, just under ½" thick)
1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
15 g Butter 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoon Flour
½ teaspoon Salt
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper

For the Crispy Sage Leaves:

2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
10-12 Sage Leaves

Instructions

Cut the onion in half, peel it and then slice it as thinly as you can.
Slice the bacon into thin batons.
Heat a 25cm (10") frying pan over a medium heat and add the bacon and cook until it begins to become golden and starts to leach some fat. Don't be tempted to do this over a high heat; it is important that the fat renders out gently, it will take between 6 and 8 minutes.
Add the butter, followed by the onions, and cook without colouring for 15 minutes. You are not aiming to caramelise the onions but to soften them gently in the butter.
Turn the heat up to high, and when the onions begin to sizzle, pour in the marsala wine and cook until it has reduced by half.
Add the beef stock and the salt (to taste), reduce the heat to low and allow the gravy to simmer whilst you cook the liver and sage.
Dry the liver on some kitchen paper, then season it with salt and pepper.
Heat a 30cm (12") frying pan over a high heat and add the butter and oil. Once the butter begins to foam, dredge the liver with the flour and cook it in the oil for 60-90 seconds on each side. Remove it from the pan and allow it to rest.
Add the cooking oil for the crispy sage leaves to the pan that you cooked the liver in, and fry the sage leaves for 10-20 seconds, then transfer them to some kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil.
Serve the liver on a "bed" of the onion and bacon gravy and top with the crispy sage leaves.

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