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Liver! (Vegetarians and vegans look away now)

(50 Posts)
phoenix Fri 17-Jan-20 16:28:57

Hello all,

Just been doing the grocery shopping and wanted some lambs liver. Went into 2 different supermarkets, none on the shelf, one had a butchers counter, but none there either.

The supermarkets were not near enough to a "proper" butchers, so I couldn't go where I would usually go.

So, as I have liver stroganoff planned for Monday, will have to go out again tomorrow!

Don't people eat it anymore?

EllanVannin Fri 17-Jan-20 16:34:23

I love it and kidneys too.
I get liver from Asda, only lambs though as the ox is too strong.

vampirequeen Fri 17-Jan-20 16:35:26

I've never liked the texture of liver in my mouth but liver gravy is to die for. Morrisons butchers might have it. They do pigs liver so they might do lambs.

Nannylovesshopping Fri 17-Jan-20 16:36:58

I eat lambs liver fried with streaky bacon and onions served on a big dollop of mashed potatoes, absolutely scrummy, fortunately always available at my sainsburys, actually wish I was having that for dinner tonight now?

H1954 Fri 17-Jan-20 16:37:24

Yes, we do but only Lambs Liver. We've seen it in Tesco in 500g vacuum packs, far too much for one meal so I batch cook it and OH can have it when he likes. Bought it from a butcher some years ago and specifically asked for Lambs but the crafty butcher slipped some Pigs liver in to make up the weight! Don't use that butcher any longer!

phoenix Fri 17-Jan-20 17:01:04

I went to Morrison's and Asda, no luck!

Ages ago went to Waitrose (opposite direction to where I was today) and bought some from the butchers counter. Wanted about 750g, they refused! Would only sell me 500g confused

tanith Fri 17-Jan-20 17:14:23

I buy lambs liver in Tesco , love it fried with onions, mash and gravy made from the residue in the pan, ooh now I have to have that over the weekend.

Auntieflo Fri 17-Jan-20 17:19:42

We love Italian Liver, using only lambs liver.
If it is sold in too big a pack, why not freeze some, I have done this successfully before now.
I remember, a long time ago, and I think it may have been Fanny Craddock, who said to soak Ox liver in milk, with a teaspoon of bicarb. This takes the bitterness away, and she gave the resulting milk to her dog.

Nannarose Fri 17-Jan-20 17:27:31

We eat quite a lot of offal (!) but I always buy meat from our butcher - I don't shop much at supermarkets.

mrswoo Fri 17-Jan-20 17:30:43

Love liver, bacon and onions. The thought of it makes me hungry.
Years and years ago I used to cook a Delia recipe of liver fried with finely chopped peppers and onion when they are cooked stir in natural yogurt and sprinkle of paprika. It’s delicious but I’ve not made it for ages.

MissAdventure Fri 17-Jan-20 17:33:13

I think Iceland do it, at least they used to.
My mum said it was pretty good, but I wouldn't know.
Ugh!

phoenix Fri 17-Jan-20 17:34:21

Auntiflo I would have happily bought a large pack and frozen some, but there was none to be had!

Nannarose where do you go to buy things such as toilet rolls, cleaning materials etc if you don't shop at supermarkets?

My village shop does stock those, but at a high price!

Auntieflo Fri 17-Jan-20 17:39:21

Sorry Phoenix, hope you find some soon, we don't have it often, but love it when we do.

Urmstongran Fri 17-Jan-20 17:51:08

I love lamb’s liver, cooked in the oven with onions, bacon and carrots. Not made it in years but will do now you’ve reminded me about it!

I hate pig’s liver - full of tubes! Eurgh.

M0nica Fri 17-Jan-20 17:51:44

Like others I love liver and kidneys. I get it from my local farm shop/butcher. Generally it is pigs liver as the family running the shop started off as pig producers, who then went into butchering and selling their own stock directly to the retail customer.

However they recently sold a field to a builder and with the cash they have bought themselves a farm and are now rearing their own beef and sheep, so within a year I should be able to get calves liver from them.

Greyduster Fri 17-Jan-20 18:41:53

I love lambs liver, which I buy from my local supermarket, cooked with smoked streaky bacon and onion gravy. They also sell rose veal calves liver which is absolutely delicious but rather expensive, so it’s an occasional treat. I used to buy it regularly, but then the price shot up and it was more expensive than fillet steak! My mother used to braise ox liver in a casserole, but she would soak it in milk before she cooked it, which rendered it more palatable as it has such a strong flavour.

agnurse Fri 17-Jan-20 18:44:09

I have never eaten liver by itself, but I have had liver pate once and it was quite good.

My dad says that overall, if you boil your liver and make gravy, then it's good, but most people tend to just fry it up with onions, and it becomes this big congealed lump, and you'd rather eat the bottom of your shoe because it would be more tender grin

I don't think I could bring myself to eat kidneys. Gross.

Auntieflo Fri 17-Jan-20 19:06:55

Agnurse, liver doesn't have to be like the old school dinner liver, shoe leather.
I flash fry ours, and it is delicious.

phoenix Fri 17-Jan-20 19:16:25

The mistake many people (my late, ex mil included) is to think that liver needs a long cooking. Wrong, that makes it tough.

The liver strog I'm planning for this week converted a friends children from liver haters!

Mr P isn't overly keen on the traditional liver and onions, but will eat the strog.

JackyB Fri 17-Jan-20 19:31:16

I love liver and kidneys. Here in Germany they aren't too keen on offal (I always order it if we go to France for a meal and it's on the menu)

As lamb is practically unknown here you can't get lamb's liver. So it's mainly pig liver, if anything. A good butcher will have calves' liver which is delicious and tender and only needs frying lightly in butter. I was once told that you should buy this early in the week because calves are slaughtered on Tuesdays. Don't know if that's still the case.

Chicken livers are readily available and are a nice quick dish to serve up, roughly chopped, fried and served in a tomato sauce with pasta.

I have been known to eat bits of fresh liver (not chicken) raw while I'm preparing it.

joannapiano Fri 17-Jan-20 19:40:53

We once went to a dinner party hosted by a Police colleague of DH. His wife brought in the main course, which looked like a beef casserole. She dished out huge slabs of ox liver!
I don’t like offal, and just cut off tiny pieces around the edge.
Have never forgotten it!

GrandmaKT Fri 17-Jan-20 19:57:42

We love chicken livers. You can buy them frozen in most supermarkets. Saute in butter and add a splash of sherry, season well and serve on toast.

Blondiescot Fri 17-Jan-20 21:31:40

I hated liver ever since I was a child - but was persuaded to try it when we were in Turkey, and now that's the only place I will eat it, or if I can get really fresh lamb's liver here, I will cook it, Turkish style.

Bathsheba Fri 17-Jan-20 21:53:47

We both love liver and bacon - lambs liver as the flavour of pig or ox liver is too strong. I never buy it in supermarkets, however, not since I found some years ago that it seemed universally to be labelled, in very small print, "previously frozen, do not re-freeze". Ah, I thought, that probably explains the very odd, crumbly texture I'd been noticing. It was really quite unpleasant ?

I've no idea whether this continues to be the case, but I only ever buy it now at our local farm shop, or at one or two selected butchers that I know sell only locally produced organic meat.

Alishka Fri 17-Jan-20 22:33:46

Ox liver is lovely, cut in strips and marinated in a tandoori mix with yoghurt.smile Was my go-to snack when I was having chemo. That was years ago but haven't lost the taste for it.
Love all offal, tho.