DURING our Covid-19 lockdown, many people rediscovered a love of cooking that had been neglected due to time constraints. With nothing else to do, cooks returned to their kitchens to make family mealtimes more than just about eating. Meal planning became a focus of the day, a way to spend time together preparing and enjoying good food, when the safest place was inside your own home. I know people who found a love of baking and bread making, along with soup making. Who knew you could get so excited about soup?!

With many people now back at work, it’s harder to make an occasion out of mealtime. But it’s not impossible. With the right fresh ingredients, a family dinner can still be made from scratch and not take forever to do so. This weekend, I’ve chosen fresh new season lamb’s liver, now readily available and really cheap. Liver is packed with nutrients, a great source of protein and Vitamin A, with good amounts of the B vits as well, especially B12 which helps with anemia and Iron for red blood cell production. Nutrient rich foods can provide a great boost to the immune system, something we all need right now! Pregnant women are advised not to eat liver or liver products. Once a week consumption for normal diets is said to be sufficient. I don’t eat liver once a week, but I do occasionally get a craving when my body tells me nothing else will do!

For this dish, you can choose lamb’s liver or tender chicken livers, readily available fresh from butchers and supermarkets and also cheap.

I’ve cooked my liver with rich Italian chopped tomatoes and fresh new season garlic garlic, then spiced it up with Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce for a prickle of heat on the tongue. Cooked Irish new potatoes and fresh summer baby spinach make this a meal in one pan.

Spicy One Pan Lamb’s Liver 

Ingredients (Serves 4)

400g new season lamb’s liver 

Good splash of olive oil 

2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and finely chopped 

2 x 400g can Italian chopped tomatoes with herbs 

75 mls chicken stock

Few drops Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce 

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

400g cooked small Irish new potatoes 

Two handfuls baby spinach leaves, rinsed and patted dry 

Method:

• Rinse the liver and pat dry. Remove any tubey bits if they are large and slice liver thinly if it’s in thick pieces.
• Heat oil in a pan and fry liver to brown both sides. Add garlic and cook for a few seconds more, stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn.
• Pour over the chopped tomatoes and stock. Add Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce and bring to bubbling. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Add new potatoes and cover with a lid. Lower heat and simmer gently for about ten minutes or until potatoes are heated through.
• Add spinach at the end of cooking time to wilt.
• Check seasoning and add extra Worcestershire sauce or Tabasco to taste. Serve with extra steamed new potatoes on the side if you wish.