BRAISED LIVER WITH MUSHROOMS AND PEPPER

Recipe and photo: Elize de Kock
It often takes quite a bit of persuasion to “convert” someone to eat liver. Liver on its own has quite an “earthy” taste, but by adding the mushrooms and pepper as well as other flavourings, the liver flavour mellows to give this dish a more appealing taste for those “non liver” eaters!
This dish can be eaten hot or at room temperature and can be served either as an appetiser or as part of the main meal.

• oil to cover base of frying pan
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
• 250 g mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 3 baby marrows, sliced
• 600 g lamb or beef livers, cleaned and cut in small pieces
• extra cake flour for dusting
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) cayenne pepper
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) chilli flakes
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) paprika
• ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons cake flour
• 300 ml water
• small bunch of parsley, chopped
• Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low to medium heat.
  When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and fry gently until the onions are a golden colour.
• Add the green pepper and fry until softened.
• Add the mushrooms and baby marrow and cook a further 5 minutes until all vegetables are nice and soft. Set aside.
• Dust the liver with cake flour and season with salt, cayenne pepper, chilli flakes, paprika and coarse black pepper mix well to incorporate.
• Fry for 2-3 minutes in hot oil in a non stick pan.
• Mix the soy sauce, sugar, salt, flour and the lemon juice into 300 ml water.
• Combine liver, vegetables and sauce, simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and cook for a further 5 minutes or until done.