Since yesterday's newsletter was al about how I no longer eat very much meat, this seems a bit hypocritical, but I came across a package of chicken livers in the freezer and my mind immediately went to this idea for a dish, which I then immediately started to crave. Considering that chicken livers are $2.99 a pound where I live and I have a hard time meeting my iron needs on food alone, I may make this again.
Chicken livers on toast are an acquired taste, but these are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a little heat from the Old Bay, and the parsley salad adds freshness to the dish. This really is a winner of a dish.
2-3 chicken livers, depending on size and your idea of a portion size
1 piece of your favorite bread, I used sourdough
1/2 bunch Italian parsley, well washed, dried and roughly chopped
2 tsps chopped brined capers
1 tsp finely chopped shallot
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 tsps roasted garlic mayo (I cheated and squeezed a clove of roasted garlic into some Hellman's rather than going to the trouble of making my own and, quite frankly, plain Hellman's would work here too as there is a lot going on in this dish)
2 tsps Old Bay seasoning
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cuppanko
2 tsps butter
1 tsp olive oil
A couple of hours before you are ready to eat, wash the livers and remove any stringy or fatty bits.
Whisk the Old Bay with the milk in a small bowl and add the livers to the bowl. Turn the livers several times and set aside in the fridge until needed.
When you are ready to eat, remove the livers from the fridge.
Place the panko in a dish, along with a tiny bit of salt and, one by one, dredge the wet livers in the panko. Roll several times so that the livers are well covered on all sides with the bread crumbs, as well as in all nooks and crannies. Place the livers back in the fridge for ten minutes, so that the panko will adhere better.
While the livers are in the fridge, make your parsley salad by combining the parsley, capers, shallots and lemon juice in a bowl and stirring to combine. Set aside until needed.
Prep the mayo if you are going to add roasted garlic to store-bought mayo. Make sure that you combine the two very well so that you have a smooth paste.
Place the butter and oil in a small sauce pan and heat over medium-low until the butter has melted and is bubbling around the edges.
Remove the livers from the fridge and add them to the pan. Cook for three minutes on one side, tilting the pan so that the livers are surrounded by the melted butter-oil mixture. This will help, not only with the cooking process, but with diminishing the popping and spattering that seems to occur when chicken livers are fried. Turn the livers over at the three minute mark and cook, tilting the pan again, for an additional two minutes and a half. If the pan gets dry, you can add a bit more butter and/or oil if needed.
When you turn the chicken livers over, take the opportunity to hit the button on your toaster.
When the chicken livers are done, remove them to a plate while you prep your toast.
Smear the toast with the mayo. Stir your parsley salad and pile it on the toast, leaving any liquid behind.
Place the chicken livers on top of that and drizzle over some of the butter remaining in the pan and some of the lemon juice left in the parsley salad bowl.
This is a fork and knife toast for sure.