Lamb's liver with herbs and green split peas

Serves 4

Lamb's liver is a delicious and cheap lunch and dinner option and what's more it's really quick to cook – a far cry from my childhood memories in which I remember the liver being cooked for hours in the oven until it turned an unsavoury shade of green.

You can slice or dice it or I've even carefully roasted it briefly then carved it like a joint.

8 slices of cleaned lamb's liver about cm thick
3tbsp of chopped green herbs (parsley, chervil, tarragon, fennel)
A couple of good knobs of butter

For the green split pea sauce

60g green split peas, soaked in cold water for an hour
1 medium onion, peeled, halved and finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into small cm dice
2 sticks of celery, peeled if necessary and cut into small cm dice
A couple of good knobs of butter
2tsp flour
tsp tomato purée
500-600ml hot chicken or beef stock

First make the green split-pea sauce: melt the butter in a thick-bottomed saucepan and gently cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until they soften, add the carrots and celery, cover with a lid and continue cooking gently for a few minutes. Stir in the flour and tomato purée then gradually add the stock. Add the green split peas, season and simmer gently for about 30 minutes or until the peas are tender and the sauce is just coating the peas and vegetables.

Season the liver and coat in the herbs. Melt the butter in a frying pan until almost foaming and fry the slices of liver for a minute or so on each side, keeping them nice and pink. Serve the slices of liver on the split pea sauce.