Lambs Fry Recipe with Bacon and Caramelized Onions (2024)

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Lambs fry with bacons and onions is a classic Australian recipe that anyone who enjoys liver and onions will love. Outside of Australia and New Zealand, lambs fry isn’t well known, in fact, if you were in America and ordered something called “lamb fries” you’d get another part of the lamb entirely (testicl*s!).

Lambs Fry Recipe with Bacon and Caramelized Onions (1)Tender pieces of lamb liver in a rich brown sauce with bacon and caramelized onions? Yes please.

Ingredients

Unlike most American liver recipes, typical Australian lambs fry is served in a brown gravy flavored with Marmite, a flavor-packed paste made from yeast. Marmite is hard to get in the United States (you can easily order Marmite online) so I recommend using Worcestershire sauce. It isn’t the same, but it’ll give the gravy some of the depth you want to have.

Caramelized Onions

All you need are yellow onions, a good heavy skillet, and about 20-25 minutes. As another idea, one of my favorite recipes for Veal Liver with Mushrooms, Onions and Bacon is similar to this.

Lambs Fry Recipe with Bacon and Caramelized Onions (8)

This recipe is by James Beard Award-winning Chef Alan Bergo. He’s a chef from Minnesota and author of The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora. Learn more about Chef Alan at foragerchef.com.

Looking to buy lamb liver online? Shepherd Song Farm: Grass to table. We raise lambs & goats traditionally, humanely and sustainably. 100% Grass Fed, Pasture Raised, Never Confined, no Hormones, Grains or Animal Byproducts. Born, raised and processed in the U.S.A. Good for you and good for the environment.

Lambs Fry Recipe with Bacon and Caramelized Onions (10)

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Lambs Fry Recipe with Bacon and Caramelized Onions (11)

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Lambs Fry with Bacon and Caramelized Onions

Tender lambs fry with bacon and caramelized onions is an updated twist on an old favorite for lamb liver.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Caramelized Onions25 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine: Australian

Keyword: Lambs Fry, Liver and Onions

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 650kcal

Cost: 10

Equipment

  • 1 12 inch saute pan or cast iron skillet.

Ingredients

Onions

  • ½ lb bacon
  • 1 lb 1 large yellow sweet onions

Lambs Fry and Gravy

  • Milk to cover the liver (use water in a pinch)
  • 12 oz lamb liver 1 whole
  • 1 cup all purpose flour plus 1 teaspoon separated
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg optional
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • ¼ cup brandy
  • 1.5 tablespoons Worcesterchire or to taste (marmite can be substituted)
  • 1.5 cups lamb or chicken stock

Serving

  • 4 thick slices of toast
  • Unsalted butter
  • Freshly chopped Italian parsley to garnish

Instructions

  • Lambs fry should be cooked and served quickly, so read through the entire recipe before proceeding.

Soak the liver

  • The night beforehand, cut the liver into 1 oz pieces, cover with the milk or water, and refrigerate. When in doubt, cut the liver into larger pieces rather than smaller, since you don’t want to overcook the liver, and you’ll be eating the dish with a knife and fork.

Caramelized onions

  • Slice the onion into 1 inch julienne, then cook in a greased 12 inch skillet, stirring occasionally, until dark brown, about 20 minutes. If the pan threatens to get too dark, add a splash of water and stir as needed.

  • Reserve the onions—from here they can be prepared a day or two ahead of time. Reserve 4 oz (1/2 cup) for the sauce. Extras are nice warmed up on a steak.

Toast

  • Butter the bread on both sides and cook golden brown in a skillet or on a griddle while you prepare the liver and sauce.

Cooking the liver

  • 30 minutes before you want to serve, cut the bacon slices into ½ inch pieces then render on medium high heat (you can bake it too if you prefer) until crisp. Remove the bacon and reserve, and keep the pan hot. You can also prepare the bacon ahead of time and simply reheat it.

  • Drain the lamb liver well, then toss with the flour. Turn the heat on the pan with the bacon fat to high, then quickly add the pieces of liver, tapping off the excess. Brown the liver quickly over high heat, then transfer the browned pieces to a pan or dish to keep warm while you make the sauce.

  • Add the teaspoon of flour to the pan, stir, then add the onions and brandy, and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and Worcesterchire, bring the mixture to a simmer, stir until thick, double check the seasoning, adjust as needed, then add the browned liver back to the pan and stir to coat with the sauce.

Finishing and serving

  • Add the bacon back to the pan, or save it to garnish the finished plates as pictured. Divide the lambs fry, onions and their gravy between the slices of toast on 4 preheated plates, garnish with the fresh parsley, and serve. Alternately, supply the griddled toast on plates and allow guests to serve themselves from the pan, family style.

Notes

Either lamb or goat liver can be used for this recipe. Venison liver works too.

Nutrition

Serving: 3oz | Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 356mg | Sodium: 1363mg | Potassium: 752mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 20963IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 76mg | Iron: 9mg

Lambs Fry Recipe with Bacon and Caramelized Onions (12)

Lambs Fry Recipe with Bacon and Caramelized Onions (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak lamb fry in milk? ›

Some people soak the liver in milk for 2 hours to cut the typical liver odor. This helps because milk has the ability to absorb all bad odor, purge the blood, lightens the color, and improve the taste. Similarly, soaking fish in milk is also a common practice that helps reduce fish odor.

What is the difference between lambs fry and liver? ›

Lamb's fry is lamb offal served as food, including the testicl*s, liver, sweetbreads, heart, kidneys, and sometimes the brain and abdominal fat—or some combination thereof. In Australia and New Zealand, lamb's fry is specifically the liver; in the United States, "lamb fries" (q.v.) are specifically the testicl*s.

Do you need to soak lamb liver? ›

Top tips when cooking lamb liver

You can soak the livers in milk for an hour or two before cooking, which will soften the flavour of the meat. Dusting the liver in a little seasoned flour before frying can make for a pleasing, golden crust.

Is lamb fry good for you? ›

Lamb's fry or liver has some surprising micronutrients in abundance. We automatically think iron and protein, but an adult serve (75g) of lamb's fry is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, often associated with foods such as oily fish, nuts and seeds.

Why do you soak lamb in milk? ›

I rinse them under cold water, and then I let them sit in milk for 30 minutes. to remove that gamey flavor.

How do you get the gamey taste out of lamb? ›

The distinct game flavor of either birds or animals will be milder after soaking the meat overnight in the refrigerator in either a salt or vinegar solution.

Can you eat too much lamb's liver? ›

If you eat liver or liver products every week, you may be having more than the recommended amount of vitamin A per day and you may want to cut down. This is particularly important if you have been through the menopause or are an older man because you have a higher risk of bone fracture.

Which animal liver tastes best? ›

Two of the most prized livers are calf's liver and chicken livers. Both are on the sweeter end of the offal spectrum, mild in their meatiness and relatively tender and delicate, though for obvious reasons, chicken livers are much, much smaller than the other meats mentioned here.

What is another name for lamb fry? ›

In Australia and New Zealand, lamb's fry is specifically the liver.

Can you eat lamb's liver rare? ›

As a TV chef, Blanc has taught that lamb's livers should be thinly sliced and cooked for just 30 seconds on each side for medium rare, or one minute on each side for medium. He said lamb livers are best served “quick and pink.”

Do you wash blood off the liver before cooking? ›

Soaking liver in milk or saltwater can pull out any leftover blood and improve the flavor.

Should liver be cooked fast or slow? ›

Since a raw liver has high water content, you have to cook it rapidly with medium to high heat. If you try slow cooking a liver, the meat will become dehydrated, leading to tough fibers and dry, chewy meat. Cook liver and other organ meats until they reach a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

What are the disadvantages of lamb meat? ›

Possible Risks of Eating Lamb

Studies have found that high consumption of red meat products like beef, lamb, pork, veal, and mutton can raise your risk of a number of long-term (chronic) illnesses, including: Stroke. Prostate cancer. Breast cancer.

What is the healthiest way to eat lamb? ›

Lamb a healthier way

Before cooking, trim off as much fat as possible. Don't fry the meat. It adds more fat and is typically a less-healthy method of cooking. Instead, grill, roast, broil, or bake the meat.

What organ is lamb's fry? ›

Lamb's fry also refers to raw lamb's liver, as well as other lamb offal served as food (including the testicl*s, sweetbreads, heart, kidneys, and sometimes the brain and abdominal fat). In Australia and New Zealand, lamb's fry is specifically the liver.

What does milk do to lamb? ›

Marinating the lamb in milk will draw out and settle some of its less pleasant smells and flavors. This method of milk soaking is also used for other meats with overwhelmingly gamey flavors, such as venison.

How long to marinate lamb in milk? ›

Directions
  1. 1 : Marinade; combine evaporated milk, lemon juice and garlic in a medium bowl. Place lamb chops in marinade, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 4 hours. ...
  2. 2 : Spice Rub; combine all ingredients for spice rub. Sprinkle chops with prepared rub.
  3. 3 : Preheat broiler.

Should lamb be soaked before cooking? ›

To help in this process, it is recommended to soak the lamb chops in lemon water (or vinegar water) for 30 minutes. This will open the meat pores.

What is the purpose of soaking meat in milk? ›

According to SunFed Ranch, marinating beef in milk creates a lightly acidic bath for the meat, tenderizing it without breaking down its proteins too much. The calcium in the milk reacts with the enzymes in the meat to gently soften the proteins, facilitating another tenderizing process.

References

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