Recipes from My Mother. Rachel Allen

aside.

      3. Mix the flour with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Pat the liver dry on kitchen paper, then toss in the seasoned flour to coat.

      4. Melt the remaining butter in the frying pan, then add the slices of liver and fry on both sides to a nice crispy finish. Return the onions, bacon and garlic to the frying pan and heat through with the liver.

      5. Divide among four warm plates, sprinkle each plate with a little chopped parsley and serve with lots of buttery toast, if you like.

      Pasta with smoked salmon, bacon and cream

      SERVES 4–6

      A supper that features regularly at our house, this pasta dish makes a little smoked salmon go a long way. The salty, rich, smoked fish loves a fresh green vegetable as a companion: peas, broad beans, broccoli and asparagus all work a treat.

      500g (1lb 2oz) pasta, such as pappardelle or tagliatelle

      a knob of butter

      100g (3½oz) streaky bacon, cut into 1cm (½in) strips (lardons)

      100g (3½oz) frozen peas

      150g (5oz) smoked salmon, cut into 1cm (½in) cubes

      150ml (5fl oz) regular or double cream

      good squeeze of lemon juice

      1 tbsp chopped parsley or a mixture of parsley, chives and dill

      sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

      1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil with 1 teaspoon salt, add the pasta and cook for the length of time specified in the packet instructions or until al dente.

      2. When cooked, strain the pasta but reserve about 100ml (3½fl oz) of the cooking water – this is very useful for adding into the pasta sauce if it’s too thick, or stirring into the pasta itself if you’re waiting for the sauce to cook and the pasta starts sticking. You don’t need to add oil or butter to the pasta once it’s drained.