Many would turn their noses up to offal. This is such a shame because if cooked well, it can be very tasty. I love liver. Even as a kid I found it tasty. Yes, I was a weird child but it was a favourite of mine.

I have cooked this for friends who were determined they hated liver but were soon convinced by this recipe. Plus, chicken livers are extremely cheap and under used, they are also full of vitamins, protein and iron…. give it a go, you’ll never know unless you try.

This was a recipe of my mum’s. I think I have pretty much remembered it the way she cooked it. It tasted great and brought back happy memories.

• 280g chicken livers
• 1 tbsp. plain flour
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 celery stick, finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, grated or crushed
• 1 cup risotto rice
• 1 tsp. paprika
• 170ml red wine
• 1 pint hot chicken stock
• 1 tbsp. Worcester sauce
• A handful of sliced mushrooms (optional)
• 1 tbsp. butter
• 100g Parmesan
• Handful of fresh herbs; can use oregano or thyme
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• Olive oil for frying
• Extra virgin olive oil for serving

• Remove any fat from the liver and slice.  Sprinkle over the flour and season well with salt and pepper, then toss in the flour to coat each piece.
• Heat the oil in a non-stick pan, add the livers and brown each side.  Once they have a nice dark colour remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add the onions and celery to the same pan, add a little more oil if needed. Cook gently until soft but not browned.
• Add the garlic and the rice, sprinkle in the paprika and mix well.
• Once the rice is translucent, pour in the red wine. Let this bubble away on a medium heat for a few minutes.
• Next start to ladle in the stock, a spoon at a time. Stir as you go, letting the liquid be absorbed by the rice. After a couple of stock scoops, add the Worcester sauce, the herbs, mushrooms, and the liver.
• Keep stirring the pan and ladling in the stock.  It should take around 20 minutes to cook, the rice should still have a little bite. Taste for more seasoning; I usually add a lot of cracked black pepper to mine.
• Once cooked, turn off the heat. Add the butter and the Parmesan. Do not stir, just pop a lid on and let it sit for a few minutes.
• Then remove the lid stir in the cheese and the butter.
• Serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, an extra sprinkle of herbs and shavings of Parmesan.