For as long as I’ve been roasting chickens (and I roast chickens all the time) I’ve been throwing away the liver that comes stuffed inside, along with the giblets, because–well–I don’t know: am I supposed to cook and eat that thing?
Well, yes. I mean not all the time. But they don’t put it in there to throw away, right? It’s in there because a chicken died and one of its parts tastes very delicious if you know how to cook it the right way. In fact, cooked the right way a seared chicken liver competes with the pope’s nose as one of the major treats afforded to you, alone, in the kitchen when you’re cooking chicken. So here’s what you need to do….
Pat the liver dry and season it with salt. Meanwhile, get a pan very hot with olive oil. You want to cook the liver fast so the outside crisps up and turns golden brown and the inside is pink. If the inside is gray, your liver will be chalky and you’ll be like “what was that bozo talking about? This is gross.” So do it all quickly, like this:
Not sure if you can tell from the picture, but see the dark, almost bronze color, on the lower left? That’s precisely what you want. Get it that color quickly and serve it, like I did, on a square of toast brushed with mustard and sprinkled with parsley. Or just eat it hot out of the skillet. Done the right way, it really is a prize.
Of course, while all this is happening, you’re roasting your actual chicken however you like to roast chicken. Chances are you’re serving it with white wine like Chardonnay or a Viognier or Gruner Vetliner. Do yourself a favor and don’t drink every last drop out of the bottle.
Because if there are just two of you and you don’t eat all of the chicken, you can wrap the leftovers in aluminum foil and the next day make a killer chicken salad. Here’s how I start: I cut up the leftover chicken meat with the skin still attached. In a bowl, I stir together mustard and mayo.
Add the chicken to the mixture, stir around and season with salt and pepper. I like to add golden raisins and walnuts, but you don’t have to. And here’s the secret ingredient: a splash of that leftover white wine.
It’s what Julia Child put in her potato salad and it makes so much sense. The white wine has a great floral quality, as well as acidity. Stirred into the chicken salad it gives everything a surprising edge that’ll make people say “oooh, what’s in this?” Only you’ll know the secret.
So roast a chicken tonight and treat yourself to these two bonus meals. Well the chicken liver’s not really a meal, more of a snack. But you get the idea.
I lived on this during my time in Paris:
http://www.waitrose.com/home/recipes/recipe_directory/s/salade_aux_foies_de_volailles.html
Definitely throw some wine or even some brandy in the saute pan when you’re doing the livers.
What is leftover wine? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Seriously, throw the giblets, neck, etc in the bottom of the pan. It’s extra flavor for your gravy or sauce.
OMG! I don’t even wait for roasting a chicken. Here in GA you can get a whole container of chicken livers in the poultry case for $1.25 max. I get them and fry them up ALL the time. I could live on them. As kids, we used to fight over them when our Mimaw fried chicken. She had to buy extra so that we wouldn’t fight all night.
Yes, you do cook the giblets, and yes, you do eat them with a glass of red while the rest of the chicken is roasting! I put the giblets in the same pot, just take them out in 30 minutes, and you’ve got yourself a very tasty snack!
As for the chicken salad, add some tarragon next time. I swear, it make a whole lot of difference! Mix the chicken with diced carrots and sweet peas, et voila!
A dash of white wine in the chicken salad?!? Genius!
Not to be the dire voice of reason, But! The liver is the filter for every toxin and chemical that passes through the body – make sure you’re getting Organic Chicken Livers, ideally from pastured (not pasteurized) chicken. Otherwise, every anti-biotic, etc, that chicken got, you’re getting in concentrated form. Done right, they are one of the most delicious things to eat!
Not to be the dire voice of reason, But! The liver is the filter for every toxin and chemical a chicken is exposed to and battery chicken’s are fed a steady diet of anti-biotics and growth hormones. Please find Organic chicken livers, ideally from pastured (not pasteurized) chickens. But done right, chicken livers are one of the best things out there! I agree with witloof below, in a warm vinaigrette over greens – so good!
Save up all of those good innards and make soup.
so tasty!)
Interesting blog! Brilliant idea to put leftovers to good use. Thanks for the refreshing idea! A splash of white wine in a salad is really intriguing. Will this go great with lettuce as well?
I raised my eyebrow at the thought of chicken liver but I like pate’ so I will give this a try, Adam! :-)
About how long do you cook the livers on each side?
1 minute or so, but go by color: golden brown on the outside, pink on the inside.
Thanks for sharing some tips from your recipes! Those are really easy-to-find ingredients.