Calves' Liver with Parma Ham Crisps and Shallot Gravy

For the ham crisps, lay the slices of ham onto a wire rack with a baking tray underneath to collect most of the fat while it’s cooking and place them in the oven at 120°C fan/gas mark 1/2 for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown.

Remove the Parma ham from the rack and use kitchen paper to help absorb the remaining fat. Once cooled, the ham should become crisp and brittle. This can be made hours in advance or even the day before.

To make the shallot gravy, start by heating up a heavy based saucepan with a little oil and add the chopped shallot, chopped garlic cloves and thyme sprigs. Cook them over medium heat and stir every few minutes.

Make sure the shallots do not catch on the bottom of the pan, but slowly caramelize. If needed, remove the pan from the heat for a minute or two and turn the heat down slightly before continuing.

Once the shallots are nicely caramelized, pour the red wine in the pan and reduce until most of the liquid evaporates. Add the beef stock and reduce to the required consistency. Set aside until ready to serve.

Next, season the plain flour with a pinch of salt and pepper and dip in the sliced liver. Heat up a heavy based frying pan with a splash of vegetable oil and once the pan is hot, add the livers.

Cook them for about 60 to 90 seconds on one side, turn it over and cook for another 30 seconds before adding the butter. Once the butter starts to foam, spoon it over the liver for around 30-60 seconds and remove from the pan. Leave it to rest for a minute or two.

In the meantime, warm up the shallot gravy.

Finally, spoon the gravy onto the base of the plate, top with the cooked liver and ham crisps and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.