Favorite Liver Recipes? I'm starting with chicken liver.

[rosewater]

I want to eat liver, though I was raised vegetarian, and I hear life-long meat eaters talk about the intense flavor of beef liver, and I'm not sure if I can get calf liver, but I'm looking into it. I have a good source for chicken liver, and I just got some yesterday.

In my New Joy of Cooking cookbook, there is a recipe for chicken liver pate, that sounds good. It has a lot of butter and cream in it, as well as an apple and liquor. I don't consume alcohol, and would leave any out. Also, I'm wondering if "Chicken Liver Pate" tastes like flavored butter, rather than "Chicken Liver Paste". Can anyone comment?

I hear of people making chicken liver pate with just onions, liver and spices, or maybe that's just a spread. I don't have a recipe for this.

The old Joy of Cooking has quite a few liver recipes in it, mostly for calf or beef liver.

I've never had chicken liver before and I'd love to try a tried and true recipe.
Thanks!

[cristeen]

Personally, where I started was with duck liver... and that's kind of where I'm stuck, but that's fine with me. I make duck liver flan. The recipe would work for other types of liver, the flavor would just be a bit different. It involves heavy cream, eggs and liver being baked together just like a custard.

[deditus]

I make this one:

http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/...-its-best.html

With something else besides the ghee 'cause we don't tolerate it. I think I used lard? I don't think the white wine adds much so easy to leave out, but the anchovies are really important!

[rosewater]

Thanks!

I'll try the chicken liver pate tomorrow, as my livers are still unthawing.

I don't know where to get "happy" duck livers, so until I do, I'll stick with "happy" chicken livers.

[wholewheatchick]

I basically followed the recipe from Nourising Traditions for my "experimental" chicken liver. :-) I sliced it thin, like 1/4 in. thick. Soaked it in lemon juice for several hours. Dragged it through a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper, and lightly fried it until crispy. I like it cold.

[starrmama]

I personally really like the chicken liver pate recipe from Nourishing Traditions. I'm not sure how it compares to the Joy of Cooking. Its definitely my favorite way to eat liver... it still tastes like liver, but once I got used to it, I really like it fairly well. I have it on a piece of whole grain bread sourdough bread usually... I like to put a thick layer of the pate on the bread and warm it up in my toaster oven. I usually have a green drink or a little sauerkraut with it... surprisingly tasty actually!

Actually, I can probably remember the NT one I've done it so much:

1 lb. chicken livers
2/3 cup dry white wine (the alcohol will evaporate during cooking, but it does seem to help the flavor if you use the wine)
1 T lemon juice
Butter - can't remember exactly how much? Is it 1 stick plus 2 T, or is it 1/2 stick plus 2 T???
1/4 t dill
1/2 t dried yellow mustard
1/4 t rosemary
salt and pepper
1 bunch green onions
1/2 lb. mushrooms (I use cremini)
1 clove garlic - mashed

So... you chop mushrooms and green onions and sautee those with the livers in 2 T butter until the livers are browned. Then, add in the wine, lemon juice, spices, garlic and let simmer until the wine completely reduced so that there's only a little bit of liquid left in the bottom. I stir it about every 5-10 min. as this part can take a good 20 min or so? Then you put it through the food processor with a good bit of salt and pepper and more butter - I just can't remember quite how much, but I know its at least 1/2 a stick. I usually make a double batch if I'm going to the trouble of making it, and then I freeze it in 1 cup jars so that I can pull those out later.

[Magelet]

If you don't want cooked wine, I would recomend using white wine vinegar instead of white wine. White wine really often does add a huge flavor amount, though very subtle, and I've found very similar results from a splash of white wine vinegar, which has no alcohol. (like a tablespoon or 2 substituted for a cup of white wine?)

Also, any ideas for making a chicken or duck pate de compagne? I had a duck one once that was divine!! I'm thinking like more like meatloaf consistancy but not quite as ground, essentially like a pork pate de compagne, but with duck or chicken? ideas? could I just substitute the meat and liver and add extra fat? anyone made this?