Stir-fried chicken livers
It is a sad fact that many people dislike chicken livers. One of those people is my husband, leaving me to consume these morsels alone.
There is no photo of me doing this. Instead, here’s downtown Berkeley, taken last week. Granted, unrelated to chicken livers, but much nicer looking.
On that note, it must be admitted that chicken livers epitomize brown food. Attractive they’re not. Therefore, this post does not abound in liver pix. A few are included, because needs must. But we can agree these liver pix are not the finest photographs ever to grace the blog. Attempts have been made to compensate. This succulent, for example:
Chicken livers are delicious regardless. Not for nothing do recipes for this humble ingredient abound, many of them calling for copious amounts of poultry fat. But not this one. Today, the chicken liver will be stir-fried.
Not a wok, but there is a Chinese cleaver in this photo. Also my new Opinel knife, lower right corner.
This being an IK recipe, it’s very flexible and forgiving–another way of saying it’s very loose. You can dust the livers with a bit of corn or potato starch before cooking. Or not. You can add a bit of kick with Sichuan peppercorns or chili flakes. Or not.
Potato starch and white peppercorns. Because I might have forgotten to photograph the Sichuan pepper and chili flakes.
Do include Shaoxing wine, which isn’t difficult to locate these days. Barring that, add a nice pour of dry sherry. Don’t forget the soy sauce. I used dark mushroom soy, but the regular stuff is just fine.
Then you want the alliums: here, garlic and scallions. I left out the ginger this time around, but if you want to add some, go right ahead. I won’t stop you.
Then it’s a matter of frying your livers quickly. Do not, I repeat, do not, overcook chicken livers. An overcooked chicken liver is a terrible thing, and turns many potential chicken liver fans into chicken liver loathers. You want the livers pink inside. I urge you to buy organic livers–think of what the liver does. Now consider what chickens are fed. Chicken livers are cheap–a pound set me back three whole dollars.
Berkeley freak flag lecture concluded.
You can finish these livers with a teaspoon of Chinkiang vinegar, should you possess a bottle, or brown rice vinegar, if that’s easier to find. If neither are around, sesame oil is always nice. Or just salt the livers and eat them with rice. I used Thai jasmine, Three Ladies brand, since you ask. And no, they are not paying or otherwise compensating me. I just like their rice.
Stir-fried Chicken Livers
yield: feeds 2-3 people, depending on what else is served, or one person who is married to a liver loather, with leftovers.
Preparation time: The entire dish can be on the table in ten minutes.
one pound/464 grams chicken livers, preferably organic
3-4 tablespoons peanut or grapeseed oil
about four tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons mushroom or regular soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 teaspoon white pepper (black is fine if you don’t have white)
1-2 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled, and minced
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Optional ingredients:
3 tablespoons potato or cornstarch, for dusting
1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
Or
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
To finish the dish:
A drizzle of Chinkiang vinegar,
or
Brown rice vinegar
or
sesame oil
Instructions
If you are making rice, start it now.
Before cooking the chicken livers, place them in a colander and rinse under cool running water. If any livers have green bile sacs, gently remove with scissors, a small sharp knife, or your fingers. Avoid breaking them, as the bile is extremely bitter and unpleasant to eat. Chicken livers occasionally have bits of fat here and there; remove if you want. Pat livers dry with paper towels before cooking.
If you are not dusting with corn or potato starch, skip the next paragraph.
If you are dusting livers with potato or cornstarch, spoon three tablespoons potato or cornstarch in a shallow bowl–I use a pasta bowl–and dredge the livers in it. They won’t be perfectly coated. That’s okay. Leave livers in bowl while you ready wok or pan.
Set up the wok or large frying pan. Turn on the exhaust fan, if you have one. Heat wok over high heat, then turn down the heat to medium high. Add the peanut oil. Allow oil to heat for about thirty seconds, then pour the wine down the side of the pan. Stand back, as wine likes to spatter. Add soy sauce, garlic, scallions, and ginger, if using. Stir-fry for about a minute, then add the chicken livers and Sichuan peppercorns or red pepper flakes, if using. Stir-fry for about three minutes. Livers are done with pink within. Test one by cutting in half if you aren’t sure; turn heat down under pan while checking, as livers can overcook in a flash.
Taste for salt and soy sauce, drizze with Chinkiang vinegar, brown rice vinegar, or sesame oil, if using, and serve.
Chicken livers are delicious with rice and any stir-fried vegetable; I made stir-fried long beans with this, which both of us ate. Sliced, pan-fried summer squash are abundant at this time of year (I write at the end of August) and pair well with this dish, too.
Chicken livers keep, refrigerated in a covered container, up to four days. While you can freeze cooked livers, the texture suffers.
Note:
Chicken livers are highly perishable. Cook or freeze them within a day of purchase. If you freeze chicken livers, defrost them in the refrigerator, and cook within 24 hours. Keep livers refrigerated until the moment you cook them–don’t keep them hanging out on the counter for hours.
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