Cook your rice however you make rice, using chicken broth instead of water. I use the absorption method with a pot, but if you prefer a rice cooker, please use it.

Unwrap the livers and put them in a colander. Rinse them gently under cold water. If you see any green bile sacs, carefully trim or cut them off with a sharp knife or scissors. They’re very bitter.

Pat the livers dry with paper towels or a clean dishtowel. You can leave the livers whole, or trim them into pieces for this recipe. To trim them, you can be barbaric, like me, and cut them into pieces with scissors right in the colander, or you can be civilized and place them on a cutting board, and cut them with a knife. I trim them into three pieces for this recipe.

Once the livers are trimmed, take out two wide, shallow bowls: one to flour the livers, and one to hold them once they’re floured. I use pasta bowls for this task.

Shake about 4 ounces/100 grams all-purpose flour into one of the wide bowls. Add salt, pepper, and a dash of paprika. Flour each liver lightly–don’t pack flour on. You want the merest dusting. Move each liver to the waiting bowl.

Once the livers are all floured, place a large sauté pan on the stove. Add the butter and garlic clove, and turn the heat to medium. Once the butter has melted, add the livers and turn the heat down.

Add the liquor and the ham, if using, and stir a bit.

Cook the livers about three minutes, until you see the blood rising. It sounds disgusting, but it’s a sure sign it’s time to flip them over.

If the pan starts looking dry, you can add a bit more broth, if you have some. If not, add the liquor you are using to cook, or a few tablespoons of water.

Turn the livers, and cook another 3-4 minutes. They’re done when you can slide your spatula through them easily, and the liver’s interior is pink. If you cannot cut easily, and the interior appears bloody and raw, cook them little longer. Total cooking time should be 10-12 minutes, but no longer.

I eat the garlic clove, but if you prefer not to, remove it, or serve it to the family garlic fiend.

This dish is pretty with the rice arranged on a platter, the livers atop it, and some parsley atop all. If you cannot be bothered, this dish is best in shallow bowls, as for pasta. It is delicious with a green salad, and works nicely with any cooked green vegetable. I know this sounds really weird, but the whole thing-livers, rice, and all– is fantastic eaten in a pita bread with crisp iceberg lettuce and mild onion. Really. Try it!

The chicken livers will keep, refrigerated, up to four days. Do not keep the rice more than two days.

Chicken livers may be frozen, well-wrapped, up to three months. Defrost in the refrigerator. Do not freeze the cooked rice.

Notes

David says this is a first course for 4; if you plan serving this as a first course, I would make less rice.

Regarding the ham: David doesn’t give specifics about type. I had some sliced French ham in the house and used that; I can’t really think of any ham that would clash with chicken livers. But if you don’t eat pork products, don’t use it.

If you have no chicken broth for the rice, water is fine.