Ingredients

8 oz (225 g) calves’ liver
2 medium onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
10 fl oz (275 ml) sherry
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 Bay leaves
1 Beef Oxo cube
2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Pinch of parsley
½ oz (10 g) butter
Salt and freshly milled black pepper

Directions

Soak the liver in milk for at least 2 hours. The secret to making good liver and onions is to soak the liver in milk before cooking. Don’t skip this step! Some people think that liver tastes bitter or gamey. If you soak it in milk for 2 hours prior to cooking, it removes much of the bitter taste. When the soaking is complete remove from the milk and pat dry with kitchen roll.

In the first frying pan, heat 2 tablespoon of the oil, then add the onions and bay leaves, keeping the heat high, toss them around for 10 minutes so that the onions release their natural sugars the onions turn brown. This is very important to ensure the depth of flavour and a deep brown colour for the gravy.

Then add the garlic for 1 minute and stir round the pan before adding the sherry. Dilute the Oxo cube in 3/4 pint of water and add to the dish.  Add some seasoning and balsamic vinegar and  bring everything up to simmering point, then turn the heat down to its lowest setting and let it just barely bubble without covering for about 45 minutes. Your gravy should look dark brown and has a real depth of flavour.

Meanwhile, prepare the liver by slicing it into the thinnest possible strips approximately 1½ inch (4 cm) in length. It is most important to keep them thin to cook as quickly as possible. When the 45 minutes are up, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil along with the butter, in the other frying pan and, then when the butter foams, add the strips of liver and sear them very briefly. Toss them around for only 1-2 minutes to brown at the edges – be swift and careful, as overcooking will dry them too much.

Season the liver with salt and freshly milled black pepper.  Then remove the pan from the heat, add the gravy from the other pan, mix together, and serve immediately with a sprinkle of parsley on top.

Serve with mash potatoes and peas.