New recipes offal tasty

With a mixture of keen pricing and celebrity chef endorsement, new figures released by independent research firm Mintel show that British sales of offal such as liver kidneys have shot up by more than 65% since 2003.

The new selection of recipes for nutritious and tasty meals such as Calf's Liver with Crispy Bacon and Savoy Cabbage and Sautéed Lamb's Kidneys with Mustard and Tarragon are now available at www.scotchbeefandlamb.com and will be appearing on recipe leaflets in butchers and supermarkets throughout the next year.

Laurent Vernet, Head of Marketing for QMS, said: “People are rediscovering the virtues of offal, and our new set of recipes offer straightforward, simple and tasty meals that enable consumers to try something different.

“To get the best out of offal you need to ensure it's as fresh and possible and it doesn't need much cooking, kidneys can be served quite pink and can get tough if overcooked. The best liver comes from younger animals, and if you are squeamish you can ask your butcher to dice it and use it that way.

“Increased offal sales are great news for consumers as it is a healthy, hearty and economical option for tasty winter meals, and it's also good news for our producers as it opens up a new market for them to fully utilise the food they produce.

“Quality Meat Scotland is working with producers to help them to adapt their processes to take advantage of this growing market and produce the highest quality offal from Scotland.”

An improvement in value or income from the trade of red and white offals could be an important contribution to sustainability in the industry. The cost saved by not having to dispose of these top quality products, around £3 per cattle beast, would result in savings of over £2 million a year.

RECIPE FOLLOWS:-

Calf's Liver with Crispy Bacon & Savoy Cabbage

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Akin to Scotch fillet of beef in delicacy, calf's liver is a real treat with the bonus of being extremely rich in vitamin A, iron and riboflavin. Minimum cooking for maximum tenderness and flavour”¦finishing off with a drizzle of Balsamic syrup.

4 slices calf's liver or 2 slices, if large
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
½ small Savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
4 rashers rindless streaky bacon
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tbsp plain flour seasoned with a little salt and ground black pepper
Balsamic vinegar or Balsamic syrup, to drizzle (optional)

• Heat the oil in a wok and stir-fry the garlic and cabbage for 2-3 minutes or until the cabbage is tinged golden and has wilted. Cover and set aside.

• Heat a large frying pan, add the bacon and rosemary sprigs and stir-fry until the rashers become crispy in their own fat. Remove to a plate and keep warm.

• Dust the liver lightly with the flour. Add to the hot frying pan and cook in the bacon fat for 1 minute on each side for pink – or 1 minute longer if you prefer.

• Serve the liver on a bed of cabbage topped with the crispy bacon and rosemary.

Tasty Tip:
Look out for Balsamic Syrup – the prized vinegar reduced to a syrup…superb for drizzling over grilled meats, char-grilled vegetables and salads.

Further information from: Louise Welsh, Director of Communications, Quality Meat Scotland. Tel: 0131 472 4112. Mob: 07739 900653. The QMS website is at