If you're watching your budget, chicken livers are a cheap ingredient that's fast and easy to cook.
Livers are a remarkable and versatile ingredient. Of all offal, they are probably the most accepted and least likely to cause revulsion (tripe is the most likely to cause an argument). Lamb’s and calf’s liver – or fry – are delicious, but require careful preparation and if overcooked can taste akin to old leather. I occasionally get intense cravings for chicken livers, so it’s good that they are cheap to buy, need little preparation, cook quickly and are satisfying to eat, especially when the edges are crispy.
One of my favourite salads involves chicken livers poached in butter, then seasoned and tossed through salad leaves dressed with red wine vinegar, olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt.
My new favourite liver comes from monkfish. It has a texture and taste similar to that of foie gras, the controversial goose liver of France and Spain. At the restaurant, we are calling it foie de mer and serving it either as pâté or crumbed and fried. With its rich, slightly metallic taste, it has proved very popular.
Anyway, I digress. I once said in a presentation to a group of committed eaters, in reply to the claim that I use too much butter in my cooking, that I was not personally responsible for the nation’s health. That said, I do feel a certain moral obligation to point out a few things about handling livers. It’s boring, but if I don’t do it, someone will complain.
Always use livers within two days of purchase. They should be wet, glossy and whole, although it’s sometimes hard to tell when they are inside a plastic supermarket pottle. Discard any that are stained green, as they will taste bitter. To avoid cross-contamination, keep livers separate in the fridge, and make sure your hands, boards and knives are scrupulously clean.
Finally, it’s okay for chicken livers to be served pink. As long as they have reached a 70?C internal temperature, they will be safe to serve. If you don’t have a thermometer, cooking small batches for about 5 minutes will usually guarantee a safe and tasty liver. Now that I’ve dealt with that, it’s time to start cooking.
Using chicken livers as a sauce is nothing new – there is a gorgeous classic French sauce called rouennaise, in which a red-wine base is thickened at the last minute with a purée of duck livers. I substitute port for the red wine, as it adds a lovely sweetness, counterbalancing any slight bitterness from the livers. Combined with the chicken breast, it is a wonderfully simple but elegant dish.
Silver beet is an underrated vegetable, but you can also use cabbage or cavolo nero, the dark-green kale available in most organic food shops.
GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST WITH CHICKEN-LIVER SAUCE AND BRAISED SILVER-BEET GREENS
4 rashers of streaky bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
4-6 chicken livers
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g unsalted butter plus an additional
2 tbsp
200ml port
200ml chicken stock
1 head of silver beet, greens only
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp cooking oil
4 chicken breasts
Preheat the oven to 180?C. Chop the bacon into small pieces. Heat a frying pan over a high heat and fry the bacon and onion until the onion is golden brown. Season the chicken livers with salt and pepper. Put the 50g of butter into the pan and once it is foaming add the livers and cook until golden brown – about 3 minutes. Pour in 150ml of port and cook for a further 3 minutes, then add the stock. Transfer the pan contents to a blender and purée until smooth. Wipe the pan clean, then pour the purée into it and cook for 5 minutes. Season.
Heat another frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat, then melt 1 tablespoon of butter in it. Chop the silver-beet greens and add to the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the remaining port, sugar and balsamic vinegar. Cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (This can be prepared a couple of days ahead, then reheated.)
Place an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat and add the oil. Place the chicken breasts skin-side down in the pan and cook until the skin is golden brown. Turn the breasts and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4 minutes before transferring the pan to the oven for about 8-12 minutes – or until cooked through. Remove the breasts to a plate and keep warm. Spoon sauce onto 4 plates and top with a pile of silver beet. Slice each breast into 5 pieces and place the slices on top of the silver beet.
Serves 4.
IN THIS RECIPE, THE toasted bread is essential, because you will want to mop up the juices. This is a great midweek or late-supper dish that takes only minutes to prepare.
CHICKEN LIVERS ON TOASTED BAGUETTE WITH BACON AND ONIONS
1 medium onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 rashers of streaky bacon
50g unsalted butter
16 chicken livers
salt and freshly ground black pepper
200ml cream
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 baguette, cut into 4 even lengths
softened butter for brushing
Slice the onion finely, separating the slices with your fingers. Chop the garlic and cut the bacon into 3cm lengths. Melt the butter in a deep frying pan over a medium heat, and when it starts to foam, add the onion and garlic. Fry the onion until golden brown – about 4 minutes. Add the bacon and cook for 3 minutes or until coloured. Season the livers with salt and pepper, then cook them in small batches – about 5 minutes per batch. When all the livers are cooked, place them back in the pan and add the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes, then add the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Slice the baguette in half lengthways, then cut each half into 4. Brush with butter and toast under a grill until brown. Place 2 halves on each plate, then divide the livers between them and spoon over the pan juices.
Serves 4.