Information about the book
Peri-Peri Chicken Livers
I’ve finally perfected the peri-peri chicken liver recipe! It’s got the right amount of heat, spice and sauce. And THE great thing? It doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg (and a kidney) to make.
By Justin Bonello
|
Photo credit: Louis Hiemstra and Dominique Little: Cooked in Africa Films |
|
|
Ingredients
YOU’LL NEED:
3 tubs of free-range chicken livers, cleaned
salt and cracked pepper, to taste
a couple of glugs of olive oil
a decent knob of butter
1 onion, finely chopped
about 4 tablespoons of thyme, chopped
1 chilli, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of peri-peri spice
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
2 teaspoons of paprika
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
⅓ cup of red wine vinegar
3–4 ripe tomatoes, chopped
⅓ cup of chicken stock
a couple of bay leaves
a splash of white wine
juice and grated peel of 1 lemon
a splash of brandy (optional)
8 or more pickled garlic cloves, thinly sliced
|
Method
The worst thing you can do is overcook chicken livers – they end up rubbery and dry. The idea is to season the livers with salt and pepper then to flash-fry them in a pan with a splash of olive oil and butter so they’re sealed on all sides but still bloody on the inside. Once you’ve done this, take them off the heat and set aside until later. Next, heat olive oil in a large non-stick pan over moderate coals. Add the onion, thyme, chilli, peri-peri spice, cumin and paprika, and cook gently until the onion is soft. Next, stir in the tomato paste and fry for about a minute. You’ll notice the onions and spices have now started sticking to the bottom of the pan, so add the red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. Now add the chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, bay leaves, salt and pepper and a splash of white wine. Stir and leave to simmer until you’ve got a sauce resembling loose chutney. (This should take about 30 minutes.) If the tomato mixture is too thick, add a couple of splashes of water to loosen it. Now it’s time to add the chicken livers that have been resting on the side, along with the lemon juice and zest, brandy and sliced pickled garlic. Simmer gently for about ten minutes. By now the livers should be tender, but not raw, so take them off the heat, stir in a glug of good olive oil and serve with fresh naan bread – great for scooping and dipping!
|
){kind=link}