“Fegato alla Veneziana” is a delicious combination of crusty pan-fried calf’s liver and meltingly soft onions, cooked long and slow so that the onions’ natural oils convert into sugars. Tradition dictates that the liver is cooked with the onions, but I prefer to sear it quickly in a separate pan.

Ingredients
Feeds 4. Takes 1 hour.

500ml dry white wine
2tbsp butter
1kg white or brown onions, finely sliced
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1tbsp olive oil
1kg fresh calf’s liver
10 sage leaves

Heat the wine, half the butter, the sliced onions, sea salt and pepper in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook, covered, over a low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is almost melting.

Adjust seasoning to taste. If it’s too dry, add a dash of water, if it’s too wet, remove the cover and cook over a high heat until reduced.

Heat the remaining butter and the olive oil in a heavybottomed pan over a high heat. Remove any membrane or icky bits from the calves’ liver and cut into extremely thin slices. Cook the liver and sage leaves, tossing well; until the liver is almost crusty outside, but still pink inside.

Divide the onion sauce between four warm dinner plates and arrange the liver on top. Add a sage leaf or two and serve.

Times Recommends

• How to season a wok
• Chicago Rib Shack hits back at its critics
• Gordon Ramsay: Indian barbecue