This is certainly a traditional regional English recipe—but what region is another matter.   My father's mother used to make it; and it was one of his favourites.   Throughout my childhood, my father always lamented the fact that my mother did not know how to make it; but, every time he tried to describe it to her, she said that it sounded impossibly complicated.
        It was when I was in my late teens that it finally occurred to her to ask my father's older sister, my Aunt Daisy, if she knew the recipe.   It turned out to be a fairly straightforward procedure, and has been a family favourite ever since.
        The dish can be made with varying amounts of liver, depending on how many people are to be fed.   However, the quantity of dumpling mixture is fairly well determined by the area to be covered at the top of the casserole.   A half recipe can be made if there are only two people; but it is very important in that case to find a small casserole dish that is relatively deep for its width.   Most little casseroles are quite shallow; and that does not allow sufficient room for the meat underneath the dumplings.

Ingredients

beef or pork liver
streaky (side) bacon
1 large onion (yellow skin)
dried rubbed sage (not ground sage)
¼ cup water

1½ cups flour (8 oz)
½ cup suet (3 oz)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
water

Directions

Preliminaries

Clean the liver of all stringy bits.

Chop the onion fine.

Filling the Casserole Dish
Put a layer of liver in the bottom of a pyrex casserole dish.   Top this with a layer of rashers of streaky bacon, fewer rather than more (no overlapping).   Sprinkle with diced onion and rubbed sage.
        Repeat until all the liver is in the casserole.   Add a quarter cup of water.   Cover the casserole with its lid.

First Cooking
Cook in the oven at 350°F for half an hour.

Making the Dumplings
Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a mixing bowl.   Add the suet, and mix well.   Add enough water to make a soft dough, using a knife for mixing.   Shape the dumplings roughly into balls.

Putting the Dumplings On
Remove the casserole from the oven, and take the lid off.   Place the dumplings on top, so that there is no open space left.

Baking
Bake uncovered at 350°F for about forty minutes, or until the dumplings are golden brown.

Serves four to six people,
depending on the amount of liver.