Pan-fried calves' liver with gin and lime sauce and sweet potato and artichoke gratin

Method

1. To make the sauce, place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the olive oil and butter, then the shallots and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until translucent.

2. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the parsley, add the gin, then increase the heat to medium-hot and bring to the boil. Stir in the marmalade and mustard, then the beef stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the liquid is reduced by half.

3. Remove the pan from the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, a pinch of salt and a twist of pepper, then set aside.

4. To make the gratin, fill a mixing bowl with cold water and add half of the lemon juice (this is for soaking the artichokes to prevent them discolouring while you're preparing the potatoes).

5. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Using a bread knife, trim the leaves of the artichokes down to the hearts, then cut the hearts into quarters and cut these in half again. Using a sharp knife, remove any hairy choke from the artichoke hearts. Place the artichoke wedges in the lemon water.

6. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them widthways into 2cm-thick discs. Place the sweet potatoes in the saucepan of boiling water and blanch for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

7. Repeat the blanching process with the artichokes, again for 4 minutes. Keep the liquid on the boil, as you have made a basic vegetable stock. Add to this stock the artichoke leaves and any parsley stalks, and continue boiling for a further 10 minutes.

8. While the stock is boiling, heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan, add the chopped onion and garlic and cook very gently over the lowest heat possible, until softened. Place the artichokes and sweet potatoes in the frying pan and increase the heat to medium. Stir well, then add the white wine, which should immediately boil off and reduce by half.

9. Add two ladlefuls of vegetable stock to the frying pan, just enough to cover the vegetables, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, warm an ovenproof dish in the oven. When the vegetables are cooked, season to taste and pour into the warmed dish.

10. Place the gin and lime sauce over a low heat to warm through.

11. Preheat the grill to medium-high, then warm a griddle pan or heavy-based frying pan over a medium-high heat.

12. Pat the calves' liver dry with paper towels, brush with olive oil and season with salt.

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Ingredients

8 slices of calves liver, about 60g each
Olive oil, for brushing
Salt

For the gin and lime sauce:

1 tbsp Olive oil
30g Butter
2 Shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2 small bunches of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, stalks reserved for the gratin
2 tbsp gin
1 tsp marmalade
1 tsp English mustard
300ml beef stock
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and fresh ground black pepper

For the gratin:

juice of 1 lemon
4 Globe artichokes
4 Sweet potatoes
1 tbsp Olive oil
25g Butter
½ onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
100ml White wine
salt and fresh ground black pepper
25g Parmesan, freshly grated
25g fresh breadcrumbs

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