Calf's Liver and Bacon is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic dish of sliced liver that's floured, fried, arranged on a plate with crisp rashers of bacon and served with a sauce made from the pan juices. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Calf's Liver and Bacon.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
CALF'S LIVER AND BACON.
881. INGREDIENTS.—2 or 3 lbs. of liver, bacon, pepper and salt to taste, a small piece of butter, flour, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice, 1/4 pint of water.
Mode.—Cut the liver in thin slices, and cut as many slices of bacon as there are of liver; fry the bacon first, and put that on a hot dish before the fire. Fry the liver in the fat which comes from the bacon, after seasoning it with pepper and salt and dredging over it a very little flour. Turn the liver occasionally to prevent its burning, and when done, lay it round the dish with a piece of bacon between each. Pour away the bacon fat, put in a small piece of butter, dredge in a little flour, add the lemon-juice and water, give one boil, and pour it in the middle of the dish. It may be garnished with slices of cut lemon, or forcemeat balls.
Time.—According to the thickness of the slices, from 5 to 10 minutes.
Average cost, 10d. per lb. Sufficient for 6 or 7 persons.
Seasonable from March to October.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1kg calf's liver
flour for dusting the liver
streaky bacon
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp lemon juice
150ml water
1 lemon sliced
Method:
Cut the liver into thin slices then take as many slices of bacon as there are of liver. Fry the bacon until just crisp, remove from the pan and set aside to keep warm. Season the liver with salt and black pepper then dust with the flour.
Use the fat rendered from the bacon to fry the liver, turning occasionally to prevent it from burning. Cook the liver until just done (it should still be a little pink in the middle). When done, remove the liver from the pan and set aside to keep warm. Pour the excess fat from the pan then add the butter. When melted, scatter over the flour and mix to form a smooth roux.
Whisk in the lemon juice and water until smooth and season to taste. Bring to a boil and take off the heat. Arrange the liver in a ring on a serving plate, putting a slice of bacon between each slice of liver. Pour over the sauce, garnish with slices of lemon and serve.
If desired, you can garnish around the dish with forcemeat balls.
