On the heat. Medium

Ingredients

• 800 g lamb liver, membrane off
• 200 g lamb caul fat, in one sheet
• 2 onions, chopped fine
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt, plenty of black pepper
• Lemon, to serve

Method

1. Soak the caul in warm water with a splash of vinegar for 10 minutes until it unfolds and goes soft and lacy. Handle it gently — it tears.
2. Chop the liver into rough 1 cm pieces. Do not mince it: skilpadjies should have texture.
3. Mix the liver with the onion, garlic, spices, parsley and heavy seasoning.
4. Cut the caul into 12 cm squares. Put a heaped spoon of mixture in the centre of each and wrap it into a tight parcel, seam down.
5. Medium coals or a medium pan. Seam side down first, 4 minutes, then turn and give it 4 more. The caul melts away and bastes the liver as it goes.
6. Rest two minutes, lemon over. They should still be faintly pink inside — overcooked liver is grainy and there is no coming back.

Cook's note. Caul fat is the great forgotten ingredient. It is a self-basting wrapper that disappears as it cooks. The same trick makes French crépinettes and English faggots — see those chapters.

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