You probably think, if you think about them at all, that chicken livers are gross.
Fine. We won't argue with you, though we happen to love the earthy, iron-rich flavor. But we understand liver can be a turnoff.
No problem, we say. That means more for the liver lovers among us. It's also a reminder that there is more to chicken than white or dark meat. Bits of offal like the heart and gristly gizzards are just as yummy as wings or breasts.
But we're concentrating on the liver for now.
"They're a little bit like an oyster of the land," says Matt Bell, chef and co-owner at South on Main in Little Rock, where chicken livers are served fried and also pureed into a mousse. "We sell a lot of them, but we knew going in that it's a love-hate thing. People that love them will get them wherever they can. People that don't just don't even go near them."
Bell loved eating his grandmother's baked chicken livers breaded in saltines but uses the tried-and-true buttermilk and flour combination for the fried versions he serves at South on Main.
Salty, fried livers found among the other coated, crispy offerings at convenience store delis are also a sublime treat.
Home fryers beware, however. Chicken livers are high in water content and when fried in a skillet can pop like grease-filled firecrackers, splattering all over one's stove and, painfully, skin.
"There are no tricks to getting it to not pop," Bell says.
Don't let a little hot grease scare you off, though. Wear sleeves, use long-handled tongs and have some sort of screen over the skillet and all should be well.
The mineral-infused taste and soft texture of the livers sealed inside a crunchy, fried shell is a distinct treat, especially when properly seasoned with salt and pepper and dipped in hot sauce, Dijon mustard (our current fave), something cool and creamy like ranch dressing or a ketchup/mayonnaise dip. Whipping up some gravy from a bit of flour and leftover oil in the skillet and serving it with the livers and mashed potatoes makes up another classic dish.
Those fried chunks of delicious innards can also be used as protein on a green salad or in a sandwich like the overstuffed sub with livers, salami, lettuce and other fillings we had at Paesano's in Philadelphia and which put to shame that city's more famous steak and cheese concoctions. Below you'll find our humble attempt at re-creating the experience.
And fried isn't the only way to enjoy chicken livers. Sauteed, processed into a pate or wrapped in bacon and baked are other methods to get more liver in your life.
Fried Chicken Livers
1 pound chicken livers, cleaned and cut in half
2 cups buttermilk, divided use
2 cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons seasoned salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, for frying
Soak livers in 1 cup buttermilk for about 10 minutes. Have ready a baking sheet.
Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
Discard buttermilk used for soaking.
Pour the remaining buttermilk into a bowl.
Dredge livers in flour mixture. Dip livers into the buttermilk and dredge in flour mixture again. Place coated livers on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes to let coating set.
Meanwhile, fill a deep cast-iron skillet with about 1 inch of oil and heat to about 350 degrees. Cook livers, a few at a time, until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels.
Makes about 4 servings.
Recipe adapted from Southern Living 1001 Ways to Cook Southern
This is an easy, hearty meal that takes hardly any time to whip up and is perfect served over warm rice.
Chicken Livers With Caramelized Onions
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided use
1 onion, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt, divided use
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided use
1 pound chicken livers, cut in halves
½ cup Madeira
1 fried egg, chopped
2 cups cooked rice
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are well browned, about 15 minutes. Remove to a plate.
In the same pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Season chicken livers with remaining salt and pepper. Place in pan and cook about 4 minutes or until browned, turn and cook another 4 minutes. Remove from pan and place on onions.
Return skillet to heat and add Madeira. Boil rapidly, scraping brown bits on bottom of skillet, for 1 minute. Pour over liver and onions. Top with egg and serve over cooked rice.
Makes about 4 servings.
Recipe adapted from foodandwine.com
This sandwich, created by some devious mind at the tiny Paesano's restaurant in Philadelphia, is perfect for leftover fried livers. Warm them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees before assembling.
Liveracce Sandwich Like Paesano's
2 hoagie rolls, sliced and buttered
4 pieces thinly sliced salami
½ cup sauteed onions
½ pound fried chicken livers
½ cup shredded iceberg lettuce
½ (15-ounce) can roasted tomatoes, warmed
Hot sauce, to taste
Garlic Mayo-Ketchup spread (recipe follows)
Warm hoagie rolls, butter side down, in skillet until lightly toasted.
Place salami, onions, livers, lettuce and roasted tomatoes on one side of roll. Drizzle with hot sauce. Spread Garlic Mayo-Ketchup Spread or favorite condiment on the other side of the roll. Close roll. Serve immediately.
Makes 2 sandwiches.
Garlic Mayo-Ketchup Spread
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix.
We found this recipe for pate in a cookbook by Maya Angelou, who spent part of her childhood in Stamps. We cut the ingredients in half and substituted bourbon for cognac and the result was a cool, tasty spread that will quickly become the best friend to any lonely, grainy cracker.
Pate
½ cup butter, plus more for greasing
1 pound chicken livers
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
¼ pound ground veal
½ cup diced onions
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup bourbon
½ cup chicken stock
Assorted crackers or toasted baguette, for serving.
Liberally butter a loaf pan.
Rinse livers and pat dry, season with salt and pepper and dust with flour.
In a skillet melt half of the butter and add the livers and veal. Saute on medium heat until cooked through. Remove from pan and place on plate.
Melt the remaining butter in the skillet and add onions. Saute on medium heat until translucent.
In a food processor, puree livers, veal and onions. Mix in cinnamon, nutmeg, bourbon and chicken stock.
Pour mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and cool. Place in refrigerator with another loaf pan holding two (15-ounce) cans on top of pate for 24 hours to remove air pockets from mixture. Served chilled with crackers or toasted baguette.
Recipe adapted from Hallelujah! The Welcome Table: A Lifetime of Memories With Recipes by Maya Angelou
These are perfect appetizers for game day or a party. The trick is not having too big a pile of chestnut-liver to wrap the bacon around.
Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Livers
4 slices bacon, cut in half
8 small canned water chestnuts, drained
2 livers, trimmed and quartered
Soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated, peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Mustard for serving
Cook bacon on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet at 400 degrees until cooked but not crisp, about 8 minutes. Leave oven on. Drain bacon on paper towels and pat dry.
Place a water chestnut in the middle of each piece of bacon and top with a piece of liver. Place a drop of soy sauce, a pinch of ginger and a sprinkle of brown sugar on top of each liver. Wrap bacon around chestnut and liver and secure with a skewer or toothpick. Return to oven and bake until bacon is crisp and golden, about 10 minutes.
Serve with honey or Dijon mustard.
Makes 8 pieces.
Recipe adapted from saveur.com
Food on 10/17/2018