simple chicken livers recipe (not pate) - pan frying

[timpani_mimi]

can everyone share their favourite pan-fried chicken livers recipe? i'm looking for something simple. any style (chinese, etc), but preferably not too complicated.

thanks.

[2chez mike]

Simply browned and sauteed in butter with salt, pepper, sage and marjoram.

[tastesgoodwhatisit]

My husband does a Japanese dish with chicken livers, chopped garlic chives, and a sauce with soy and sake and various other things. Pretty simple, and very very good.

[MidwesternerTT]

This takes less than 30 minutes.

Great with rice – start cooking the rice before you start cooking the liver, and both should be done at about the same time. Broccoli is a nice additional side-dish with this.

Chicken Livers in wine sauce

1 lb. chicken livers
1 medium onion
6 medium fresh mushrooms (don’t substitute canned)
I usually use an 8 oz. package, since we like mushrooms
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley (don’t substitute dried)
4 Tablespoons butter
salt/pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons dry white wine (recipe says you can sub chicken broth for the wine - we never do)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
(we put in a bowl and add at table to each serving)

Wash, pat dry and cut the chicken livers in half.
Peel & chop the onions
Wash, pat dry, trim & slice the mushrooms
Chop the parsley.

Melt the butter in a large skillet.
Saute the livers, onion, mushroom about 4 – 6 minutes, until the onion is limp and the livers are pink in the middle. Season to taste.
Add the wine, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.
Remove the skillet from heat and cover to keep warm.

To serve, sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan cheese. Serve with rice.

From Dinner A Day cookbook

[foodieX2]

My son loves them and I make them pretyy simply. I rinse and then soak in milk for about an hour or so. Dry well, season with S&P, dredge in egg and then panko and pan fry.

[somervilleoldtimer]

Rinse the livers and drain on paper towels. Melt some butter, add a good amount of chopped onions, let them sizzle for a few minutes. Add chicken livers, salt, pepper and paprika. Saute until livers lose the pink look inside, and serve on buttered rye toast. Can't beat it.

[valurna]

1 can irish potatoes sliced
1/2 a yellow onion sliced thin
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed and rinsed to your liking.
8oz package of mushrooms sliced
Salt& pepper
seasonings of choice (I use one of those mccormick spice grinder mixes, the italian one)
butter or cooking fat of your choice (olive oil suitable for cooking works well)
A couple splashes of worcestershire sauce.

Drain canned potatoes and rinse, letting them drain again very well. Add them to a hot pan with a bit of butter or oil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook over med high heat till browned on both sides.

In a second, large frying pan heat butter or oil and add oinions and mushrooms sautee them until they are soft and starting to brown. Season them up a bit and transfer them the potatoes or another bowl.
Add a little more butter to the onion pan, when melted add the chicken livers seasoning them with salt and pepper and the seasoning of your choice and worcestershire sauce. Cook the livers until desired doneness. cook them till well done and lightly browned. Add the onions and mushrooms, as well as the canned potatoes back to the pan and toss together adjusting seasoning if needed. Then serve and dig in.

I make this and I usually get a hearty dinner (I like it with a side salad) and lunch the next day.

[PotatoHouse]

I may have missed it, but I don't think anyone has mentioned Rumake yet;

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1626,...

[pinehurst]

Replying (very) late. Re somervilleoldtimer and others who posted like ideas....yes, there is something about frying in butter. Chicken livers like dairy, I think.

[bizkat]

Greek-style chicken liver:

S&P,flour,
saute in EVOO over med. heat till browned,
add a bit of dried oregano,
deglaze pan with fresh lemon juice,
add tad butter off heat.

[porker]

I was thinking of this thread as I bought a container of fresh livers the other day. Along the lines of others, with slight variation;
caramalize onions and shallots in butter and olive oil (long, slow, deep browning and softness)
push to side of pan and add livers, brown aggresively, turn occasionally.
Stir together onion mix and livers, crank to high, add about 1-2 cups water, deglaze, bring to boil and simmer a few minutes.
Add a cornstarch slurry and thicken to your liking.
Remove from stove, put in container in fridge overnight, letting flavors comingle.
Warm in morning, season with salt, enjoy.

[al b. darned]

Not sure where I read it, buy it said to soak livers (and gizzards and hearts) in milk overnight. IIRC it had something to do with neutralizing toxins or something paranoid like that. Anyways, I do that before coating with masa and frying. As Nanzi mentioned, a splatter screen is recommended.

When I do gizzards I cut them into smaller pieces for faster frying and easier eating.

I eat them on buttered toast or in a soft flour tortilla with horseradish mayo .

[somervilleoldtimer]

I still do the basics: butter, then minced onions, then livers, salt and pepper and some good quality paprika at the end. Eat on buttered rye toast. Hard to go wrong!

[SarahInMinneapolis]

Anyone have a recipe for livers stir fried? An Asian restaurant used to grill them by the table and serve as apps. There was soy sauce but I have idea what else. Thanks!

[sr44]

Tamasin Day-Lewis's Spiced Chicken Livers
1 heaped tsp cumin seeds
1 scant tsp coriander seeds
pinch each of sea salt and black peppercorns
1 – 1 1/2 tbsp plain flour
3 heads chicory
cayenne pepper
450 g chicken livers
good sized knob of butter
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp molasses sugar
squeeze of lemon juice
black pepper
1. Dry-fry the cumin and coriander seeds in a small heavy-based frying pan for about 3 minutes until they smell aromatic.

2. Tip the seeds into a mortar, and crush with the sea salt and peppercorns. Add the cayenne and flour, and mix together well. Set aside until ready to start cooking.

3. Cut the bases off the chicory, and separate out all the leaves.

4. Trim any fat and sinew away from the chicken livers, leaving the livers whole.

5. Pat them dry with paper towels and toss them in the spice mixture so that they are evenly covered.

6. Heat the butter in a frying pan until it’s bubbling, and then add the chicken livers. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn the chicken livers over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes, or until cooked all the way through.

7. Meanwhile, put the olive oil and molasses sugar in a saucepan over a low heat. Put the chicory leaves in the warm oil and stir them gently. They will begin to wilt pretty quickly. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Remove the chicory from the heat and squeeze a little lemon juice over it.

9. To serve, place a few leaves on each plate and spoon the livers on top.

(I've never bothered with the chicory--just hoovered them quickly.)

[HillJ]

Now you're talking my language, sr44. I'm definately adding this recipe to Sunday's meal. Thank you.

[LaLa]

Place chicken livers in buttermilk and a few squirts of hot sauce and let stand 10 or so minutes.
Drain
then lightly dust chicken livers in flour
sautee in a little fat...bacon, duck,etc
Drain on paper towel

[Sarrastia]

So, I have been curious about the goings on inside of my chickens and I finally drew up enough courage to figure it out. I looked up a diagram to figure out what was inside my chicken and saw that this huge deep reddish thing was a liver. I figured, that sounds yummy. I read through this thread and decided to quickly saute it in butter with salt, pepper, and garlic. I then took my first bite, it was almost steak like! I shared some with my curious canine and he shared my enthusiasm. I tossed the gizzards because i wasn't cooking my chicken until later and I didn't really know what to do with it. I saved the neck with the back I cut out (spatchcock) in a freezer bag to use for stock later.

I am pretty excited to try more ways of using everything and wasting little to none.

[sunshine842]

You can pretty easily cook the hearts right alongside the livers.

Gizzards take a little more cooking to get them tender.

[Veggo]

Although the hearts are more rubbery and chewier than the livers.

[sunshine842]

true, but not in that noisy "what the hell are you eating" way that gizzards can be if they're not simmered long enough!

Now...gesiers confits? Gizzards slow-cooked in goose or duck fat -- just as decadent as they sound. (one of the specialties in the southwest of France is a big salad, with sliced, smoked duck breast, chopped gesiers confit, chopped toasted walnuts, and drizzled with walnut oil.

[hotoynoodle]

if you marinate the hearts overnight in something acidic they are much more tender when cooked.

[lemons]

Gizzards work fine with necks and backbones for stock. The dark-meat fibers and the cartilagenous connective tissue both add to the richness of the stock. Besides, once they're simmered, the cat or dog should be thrilled.

[1POINT21GW]

Skewer with rosemary sprigs and fry or grill as normal.

[sandylc]

Saute some sweet onions in butter, S & P. Add the livers, S & P, (optional: Fresh thyme) and cook until done. Finish with a splash of brandy or dry sherry. Eat on French bread slices.

[tiffeecanoe]

I can't say no to a deliciously fried chicken liver, but this recipe I came across is also VERY good and so simple.

http://www.food.com/recipe/stolen-gar...

I actually add the garlic when I add the lemon juice and olive oil to cook it up a bit.

[Unkle Al]

One of the most unusual chicken liver dishes I have eaten is the Rigatoni With Chicken Liver, Onion And Sage Sauce at Marc Vetri’s restaurant in Philadelphia. This was such a great dish that I immediately bought a copy of his cookbook. See the recipe here:

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/20...

[linguafood]

Oh yeah, that is one delish dish. On the heavier side, tho.

[PHREDDY]

Saute some yellow onion until just browned slightly in some Evoo or vegetable oil, add the livers and cook for about 3 minutes, s&p....then whisk two large eggs and pour into pan for an omlet that is out of this world!,,,(as taught to me by my great-grandmother, circa 1960!)

[dingey]

DANG that sounds good! This thread is killin' me. My husband is not into the livers, either, but there's a new butcher shop in town and I saw tubs of chicken livers in there recently...I might have to have myself a little private feast!

[Bacardi1]

My husband won't touch them either, so I either make them for myself when he's not going to be home for dinner, or I just make him something else. The livers take so little time to prep & cook, that making him something else equally as quick isn't a hassle.

[tiffeecanoe]

Oh boy, you may have just posted a new favorite dish of mine! Can't wait to try this.

[porker]

Just curious about the pate thing? Maybe you already make paté and want other idears? Or just don't want to make it?

[timpani_mimi]

thanks all, very nice! most of the suggestion sound within my reach. appreciate it!

[Bacardi1]

Oh goodness - one of my favorite comfort foods that I make the same way my grandmother made them.

I just melt an obscene amount of butter in a large skillet, then add in my chicken livers (rinsed, dried & trimmed of any connective tissue); sometimes dusted with flour, sometimes not), & saute until done to my liking (I like them cooked through, not pink). I then add the juice from one lemon, & a scattering of caraway seeds. That's it.

Grandma used to serve these as appetizers - she'd stick one of those cellophane frilly toothpicks into each one. I just like scarfing them down sans toothpicks by themselves as a meal.

[Bacardi1]

(Oops - just realized I forgot to add "salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste".)

[todao]

Rinse the chicken livers well; drain and pat dry. Dredge in cornstarch and shake off excess. Dip in mixture of beaten egg with a little milk added. Dredge in mixture of AP flour, garlic powder and seasonings. Shake off excess and drop into 375 degree oil (careful of the splash/spatter; you can use a wok for frying if you have one) for 4 - 5 minutes turning periodically (sometimes less; check a few to see how they cook) drain on paper towels and serve. I like to use very little seasonings so as not to overwhelm the flavors of the livers themselves.

[VitalForce]

Here’s a recipe from Copeland Marks’ “Sephardic Cooking,” this one from the Calcutta community.

1 lb. chicken liver, divided into lobes
½ tsp. minced fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, chopped fine
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. garam masala
3 tbsp. corn or peanut oil

Mix together, except for oil, and let stand for 15 min.

Fry in oil for 4 minutes or so until livers are cooked through, but not overly so. They can also be grilled on skewers.

[Harters]

One of my local asian restaurants does a similar dish, marinating the livers in ginger, garlic,coriander and other spices (probably garam masala)

[greygarious]

Fry bacon, remove from pan. Sautee onions in the bacon fat. When onions are soft and translucent, add the livers (floured or not, your choice) and a splash of soy or teriyaki sauce.
When done, season with black pepper and return the bacon to the dish.

[letsindulge]

I do something similar except I saute onions & livers in butter. I also add julienne bellpeppers, and sometimes shrooms and a splash of balsamic vinegar along with the soy / teriyaki. Over a bed of rice & Yummers!

[Veggo]

I fry a few strips of bacon and then the flour-dredged livers in the bacon fat and then make a little gravy and serve it all on toast. My cholesterol is off the charts but my heart and plumbing is good, to the lament of my heirs.

[Harters]

Definitely simple - and really good:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/33...

[BecaC]

Jacques Pepin has a couple of quick recipes for chicken livers. One of my favorites is the result of his roast chicken method. Not pan-fried, as you roast it in the pan with the chicken for a couple of minutes, but still easy and delicious:

"Roast Chicken:

Preheat a convection oven to 400°F or a regular oven to 425°F. Reserve the chicken liver, and sprinkle the chicken all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and place it on its side in the roasting pan. (I start it on its side, because the legs take the longest to cook.) Cook for 20 minutes on one side, and then turn it and cook it for 20 minutes on the other side. Finally, finish it up on its back, basting occasionally until done. It takes about 1 hour in a convection oven to produce a chicken with a beautiful, crusty, brown exterior and juicy meat.

Near the end of the cooking time, sprinkle the liver with a dash of salt and pepper, and add it to the pan next to the chicken to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Cut it in half, place each half on a toast–half for me and half for my wife–and enjoy with a glass of wine as a special bonus for the cook."

[linguafood]

Rinse well & pat dry. Dust lightly with seasoned (s&p) flour & sauté over medium to high heat in butter or goose fat (or even chicken fat, if you have some) or a mixture of both. Make sure not to overcook them, which happens faster than you think.

A little before I take them out, I like to grind a bit more pepper over them and add a splash of balsamic, cognac, port or red wine and let it reduce to coat them.

Then I eat them pretty much immediately -- they're all mine MINE, because my man is not a fan :-)

[Nanzi]

I like them just coated in flour, salt & pepper. Watch out frying them, they pop and splash grease something terrible. Have a grease screen at the ready. Love fried chicken livers. Enjoy.