Old-Fashioned Lamb’s Fry and Bacon with Onion and Gravy
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Here’s a retro recipe from our grandparent’s era – lamb’s fry and bacon with onion and gravy sauce. For those who haven’t heard of lamb’s fry before, it’s the liver.
Liver has a texture and flavour distinct to the cuts of meat many of us are used to eating, and that can make it a shock to the palate. Offal is almost as polarising as an election – you’re either for it or…yeah nah.
I grew up eating lamb’s fry and bacon. This recipe comes from my mum, who got it from her mum.
One of the biggest benefits of eating lamb’s fry and other offal compared to more standard meat cuts is the cost. The liver in this meal cost me AU$3.50. Add a little bacon and onion, stock or water, plus some veggies, and you’ve got a hearty meal for the family for well under $10.
Liver is also a highly nutrient-dense food, high in vitamin A and iron and other key nutrients [source]. While low in calories, it can be high in cholesterol, however, so if you’re sensitive to cholesterol in food, it might not be a good choice for you [source].
What’s the deal with soaking liver – water or milk?
While my mum always soaked liver in salted water, many people swear by soaking it in milk instead.
First up, the soaking helps you to remove the skin (more on that below). People also believe that milk improves the taste – the acid in the milk neutralises some of the bitter flavours, although there is some debate about that. I’ve read vinegar or lemon water can do the same.
When I researched why people soaked their liver in milk, the predominant answer was: “because my grandma did.” This isn’t to say it’s wrong because our grandmas knew a thing or two – old wisdom that we’ve almost forgotten.
But I use salted water for the simple fact that it’s cheaper than milk.
And because my grandma did.
Try milk and see how it affects the flavour.
You might also like Sausage and Bean Stew or slow cooker lamb neck chop stew.
How do you remove the skin from lambs fry?
This step is slightly finicky.
It helps to slice a little off the end to create a pocket to slide your knife into to help lift the membrane off the liver.
Then, when you’ve lifted a little of the membrane up, peel it back slowly and it will come off in sections. Continue to lift and peel on both sides of the liver.
Tips For Slicing the Liver
Slicing the liver thinly and cooking it on high quickly will improve the texture and flavour.
There’s a bit of sinew and ‘tubes’ in the liver that needs cutting out. It can be easier to slice the liver upside down to see the sinew.
That makes it sound like a lot of work, but it only takes a few minutes of hands-on peeling and slicing.
What to Serve with Lamb’s Fry and Bacon
When I was a kid, Mum would serve this on toast. But if you want to round out the meal with some veg, mashed potato and peas are a traditional combo.
You could also do steamed spuds and green beans if you don’t eat potatoes, some roast carrots would add a nice sweetness to this dish.
Old Fashioned Lamb's Fry and Bacon with Onion and Gravy
Lamb's Fry and Bacon is a retro recipe that's full of flavour and nutrition and makes a super cheap meaty meal.
Ingredients
- 1 Lamb's Liver (approx. 450g)
- 4 rashes of bacon, diced
- 2 onions, sliced
- 4 Tbsp. plain flour, divided in half
- salt and pepper to season
- olive oil for frying
- 1 1/2 AU cups (375 ml) stock
Instructions
Add 2tsp. salt to a bowl of water, place the lambs liver in the bowl of salty water and leave to soak in the fridge for 2 hours.
Meanwhile, remove the rind from the bacon and cut into large dice and slice the onion.
Remove liver from the water, drain or pat dry and remove the skin from both sides by slipping a knife under the skin and peeling it away.
Slice the liver thinly into bite-sized pieces, cutting off any sinewy bits.
Add 2 Tbsp. of flour to a plate and season well with salt and pepper. Dredge the liver in the flour, coating all over, remove and place on a plate.
Heat a frypan over medium heat, add a little oil and cook the onion for a few minutes until starting to brown and soften.
Add the bacon and cook for a further 3 minutes or until the bacon is cooked. Remove from the pan.
Turn the heat up to medium-high, add some more oil to the pan and place the liver in the pan, leaving room around each piece. Fry, turning, for about five minutes until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and turn down the heat to medium.
Add a little extra oil if necessary and the remaining flour and fry stirring for 1 minute. There will be brown, crispy bits on the bottom of the pan, that's fine.
Add the stock and stir well to make a gravy. Scrape up all the crispy bits up from the pan into the gravy - that will give it more flavour.
Simmer gravy for a few minutes until slightly thickened. Add the bacon mix and liver back into the stock and cook for a further 5-10 minutes or until the liver is cooked through.
Notes
Traditionally, my mum and grandmother made the gravy with water, not stock, which is cheaper - you can use plain water instead.
I used stock in a tetra pack, you can use a stock cube to reduce the cost.
Some recipes add either a tablespoon of tomato sauce (ketchup) OR Worcestershire sauce for extra flavour.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 120Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 187mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 8g
Nutritional information is calculated automatically using the Nutritionix database. Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, serving size or the source of nutrition data. We strive to keep the information as accurate as possible but make no warranties regarding its accuracy. We encourage readers to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
I remember watching an episode of My Kitchen rules a few years ago, where they were preparing an a meal that involved Liver. She(a descendant of an eastern block country) soaked it in Milk for a while and the chefs raved about it. I have done it twice since then and I have found it to be much improved. IMHO I felt that the bitterness was gone and the texture too changed a bit. I liked it even more that standard(rinse in water). I like liver but it can get a bit hard on the pallete(for want of a better term) if you have too much. The milk seems to make the liver feel creamier(as opposed to coarse) on the pallet. Thanks for the recipe. Peter
Hi Peter, that’s good to hear. Thanks for leaving a comment.
Hello. It is first time l had made lambs fry. Its bit fiddly to do. But this will be a meal just for the men when they come home. As they asking for it. So its a yes in our house. Thanks for video easy to get info .
I made this for my neighbours, it was absolutely amazing! Finicky yes in peeling off the membrane although totally delicious. 10 out of 10 for us. We will be making this again.
I grew up with lambs fry. Dad was the chef in our house. I have lambs fry once a fortnight to keep my iron levels up, cat gets a special treat too. When I skin the fry, I pull a piece up & run my finger back & forth between sking & fry. It comes off in bigger poeces. I had one fry, must have been old, where I gave up skinning it because it came off in slivers. Ended up mixing it with the cat’s food. The maggies, etc, loved it too. I haven’t tried it in milk but will do so tonight when I cook it.
Great recipe that is exactly how my mum made it
When she finished cooking it she then put it in the oven for about a half hour
Sounds good. I’ll have to try that.
Following an operation my wife was told she was anaemic. I asked if there was any recipes I could do to help. The surgeon said liver is good. My wife hadn’t had liver since she was a kid. She reckons this is exactly like her grandma’s recipe! Absolutely loves it – not only good for her but brings back great memories. (I soaked the liver in milk 👍👍👍) Thanks for sharing 😁
Glad she liked it. I hope your wife recovers quickly.
Buttermilk is good to soak it overnight, I prefer Onion with no bacon
Absolutely brilliant site. So glad I found you. Frugal is how I was brought up in England and still practice it 60 years later. Love your site .Thanks John
all i do is the same as mum large pot cut onion dice cut fry cubes slice bacon cube into pot fill with water cook, for gravy remove water from pot mix with gravox until runny thick add back to pot stir serve unbelievable
Nice! Mum’s recipe is always the best :)
Hi, my middle name is Frugal, so when I was given a lambs fry, I did it slightly differently. I soaked the lambs fry in balsamic vinegar (10mls) and added 2 tablespoons of sugar to that. I browned the onion and bacon at then cut the liver up and added it to it.
Seemed to make its own gravy. Very tasty and very cheap. You can use ordinary brown vinegar instead of balsamic.
All cooked in one pot so minimal dishes.
Nice! I will have to give it a go. Thanks for leaving a comment.