Serves 2-3
Ingredients
- 400g (14oz) very fresh lamb’s liver
- 1 small or ½ larger onion, very thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black onion seeds
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3–4 thyme sprigs (optional)
For the beans
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 × 400g (14oz) can of white beans, such as cannellini or haricot, drained and rinsed
- juice of ½ lemon
- a handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
- a knob of butter
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Trim away any membrane or tougher ventricles from the liver, then cut it into 1–2cm (½–¾in) thick slices – the broader the slice, the better really. Arrange the slices of liver over a plate and scatter over the onion and garlic.
Warm a pan over the heat. Add the fennel, coriander and cumin seeds and toast them until they begin to smell fragrant and wisps of smoke are appearing. Tip the spices into a pestle and mortar and crush them up or chop them finely with a knife.
Combine the crushed spices with the black onion seeds and smoked paprika, then sprinkle the whole lot over the lamb’s liver. Trickle over the extra-virgin olive oil, tear over the thyme (if using) and turn everything together until it’s all evenly coated. Set the liver to one side.
Make the beans. Place a pan over the fire and add the extra-virgin olive oil. When it’s nice and hot, add the onion and garlic and allow them to sizzle for 3–4 minutes, or until the onion is soft but not coloured. Add the drained and rinsed beans. Cook the beans for a few minutes, season with salt and pepper, stir through the lemon juice and parsley, then pull them to one side of the fire and keep them warm.
Set a grill down over a searingly hot section of the fire. Season the lamb’s liver with plenty of salt and pepper, then lay the pieces down individually on the grill. Cook them for no more than 1 minute on each side (any more and the liver may overcook). As and when you think the liver is ready, lift it off the grill and place it in the pan with the beans. Add the butter and let it melt over the liver and into the beans. After a few minutes, the liver will have relaxed a bit and you can eat it – straight from the pan, on plates, or piled into flat breads.
