Liver pie

For those who love liver, and especially for those who hate it

Beef liver is a distinctive ingredient, with its own unique flavour and texture. It’s very easy to overcook liver, making it ‘rubbery’. Children are often reluctant to try this dish. On the other hand, liver is one of the best ways to boost haemoglobin levels; it’s a necessary and healthy food in general, and this recipe is ideal for those who simply can’t bring themselves to like it.

Yes, I must apologise straight away to those on a diet – you certainly couldn’t call this dish ‘diet-friendly’. What’s more, one of the ingredients is mayonnaise. I’m so sorry! I won’t do it again! But in my view, it’s difficult to make this dish without it; those who wish to can replace that much-hated ingredient with sour cream or natural yoghurt.

	Today we’ll need: 500 g of liver (I’ve already removed the membranes and ducts and cut it into pieces); 2 onions; 1 carrot; 3–4 tbsp mayonnaise; 2 tbsp flour; a lemon; olive oil; honey; a few sprigs of dill; salt and pepper to taste.
	Let’s start with the vegetables. I put the chopped onion (the second one will go into the mince) and the carrot, grated on a coarse grater, into a frying pan heated with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. I simmer the vegetables under a lid until tender, then transfer them to a bowl to cool slightly.
	Now let’s prepare the batter for the liver pancakes. Mince the liver together with the onion. Yes, I agree, it doesn’t look very appetising! But don’t worry…
	Add two raw eggs and two tablespoons of flour to the mince. And, of course, freshly ground black pepper! There’s no need to add salt, as the sauce is salty enough. Whisk everything together briefly with a mixer.
	And now it’s time to make the sauce. Take some mayonnaise, squeeze in some lemon juice (1–2 tbsp), add olive oil (3–4 tbsp) and finely chopped dill (1–2 tbsp). You can add a little salt if you like. The next ingredient is optional. In sauces containing acid (vinegar or lemon juice), I always add honey or maple syrup to balance out the acidity. I’ve added about 1 tsp of honey to this sauce. Mix everything together with a fork. Done! Be sure to give the sauce a go! Like this, with your little finger – Jamie Oliver’s favourite gesture… Yes, if I ever become a chef, I’ve already got a nickname sorted – ‘Chef Crooked Little Finger’.
	Look, three ingredients, three components of our dish (not counting the dill for garnish).
	Now comes the trickiest bit – we need to fry the thin liver pancakes. I’ll explain the tried-and-tested method in detail. Heat a frying pan with a spoonful of vegetable oil and pour a full ladleful of the batter-mince mixture into the centre (I managed to make 4 pancakes).
	Then, using a wooden spatula, gently spread the mixture across the base of the pan. Don’t press down too hard, so as not to damage the bottom layer which has already set; carefully push the runny mixture out to the sides.
	The liver cooks quickly. After just a minute and a half (when the underside of the pancake is golden brown and the top is still raw), cover the pancake with a damp plate of a suitable size (simply rinse it with water). Immediately press the plate down onto the pan with your hand and flip the pan upside down. Caution! Do not pour too much oil into the pan, so as not to burn yourself at this stage! Lift the pan upwards, and the pancake will remain on the plate.
	Then place the frying pan back on the hob and, without adding any oil, carefully slide the pancake from the plate into the pan (it will slide out easily on its own if you tilt the plate). That’s it! Just another minute and the pancake will be ready, and you can rinse the plate. The finished pancake will also slide over the edge of the frying pan into place.
	Fry the pancakes whilst assembling the pie. Whilst the next pancake is cooking, you’ll have plenty of time to spread the sauce over the previous one and sprinkle vegetables on top. Just like that.
	Lightly brush the last pancake with sauce and sprinkle with dill (no vegetables needed). Done! Cover the dish with cling film and chill in the fridge for at least an hour. Serve with toasted bread and onion marmalade – I promise I’ll share the recipe for that next time!