I roast whole chickens a couple of times a month, usually on my rotisserie. I like to dry brine chicken, so the first thing I do when I get home is salt the chicken and put it in the refrigerator to rest.
This leaves me with the envelope of giblets. You know the one; a paper pouch with the neck, gizzard, and liver. The neck and giblets I put in the freezer for later.
*I have a zip-top bag, full of necks and wingtips and other trimmings, waiting for my next batch of pressure cooker stock.
The liver is my treat. I eat it right away, sprinkled with salt, seared in a little olive oil.
If I'm feeling fancy, I make an open-faced sandwich, toast with the liver on top, maybe a little grainy mustard. But that's rare. Most of the time I eat the liver straight from the pan, fat and juices dripping down my chin. I lean over the stove, trying to keep my shirt clean and saying "ouch" a lot. The liver is still hot when I pop them in my mouth.
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📖 Recipe Card
Sauteed Chicken Liver
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 1 serving 1x
Description
Chicken livers seared in olive oil with a pinch of kosher salt until browned outside and cooked through - a quick cook's treat.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken livers (trim off the tough connective tissue if you like)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the pan: Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Brown the first side: Add the livers, and sprinkle with a three-finger pinch of salt. Cook until well browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
- Cook through: Flip the livers, and cook until browned on the second side and no pink remains in the middle, about 3 minutes more. If they're browning too fast, turn off the heat and let them finish in the heat of the pan.
- Serve: Lift the livers out of the pan with tongs or a slotted spoon, and serve.
Notes
Cook the livers all the way through. Cut into the largest one - there should be no pink. Or press on it: if it's still soft in the middle, keep cooking; once it feels firm, it's done.
Other poultry: This works with any poultry liver, from Cornish hens to turkeys. I cook the turkey liver this way while I make my giblet gravy. Duck livers are my favorite.
Save the rest of the bird for Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock.
Inspired by Tamar Adler's An Everlasting Meal.
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 minutes
What do you think? Questions? Other ideas? Special treats you make with things others throw away? Leave them in the comments section below.
Related Posts:
Inspired by:
Tamar Adler, An Everlasting Meal
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Ben says
Great recipe and I love the humor.
Mike V says
Thank you!
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
Sounds delicious...
Joe Shoults says
lightly flour or corn meal. Nothing else but salt and pepper. try a roasted peanut oil.
Mike V @ DadCooksDinner says
These were pasture raised, and I do know the source. You should get the best chickens you can for your livers. But that's for taste reasons - pasture raised chicken livers taste better than grocery store chicken livers.
From what I've read, a liver is not a filter, it's a processor. It doesn't absorb toxins, it breaks them down. (Toxins concentrate in fat, not the liver.) Liver and kidneys will concentrate heavy metals, but they will also be in the rest of the meat.
To sum up: if your chicken is eating something bad, you should avoid the whole bird, not just the liver.
Here's the best summary of the data I could find, with lots of links to its sources: Does The Liver Store Toxins?[MarksDailyApple.com]
Kjalics says
I would only do this if it's organic chicken liver or you really know the source and know the chickens aren't getting any bad stuff that will end up in the liver....I love all sorts of liver, btw!