In the interest of responsible eating -- a subject I wrote about before -- I have been trying to introduce more animal parts into my culinary repertoire. And so, more offal have been creeping into my diet. The slow adoption has more to do with limited availability -- most butcher counters focus only on popular meats such as chicken breast, pork chops, ground beef, etc. -- and my inexperience with cooking animal parts that too often end up in the trash.However, chicken livers can be found even at the most under-stocked grocery chains. And having made chicken pâté before, using a recipe called "Faux Gras" (a cheaper, more ethical alternative to foie gras), I am comfortable cooking livers.
The dish I present here is my own recipe. The inspiration stems from a case of misidentification. Many months ago, I decided to explore a new area of Toronto on my day off. I found myself in Liberty Village: a compact but developing area where shiny new condos are sprouting up and posh shops have set up camp. Part of the draw was the knowledge that acclaimed chef, Marc Thuet, had opened a bistro called Atelier Thuet in this neighborhood. It was a luxurious treat to have a lazy late lunch there with a beautiful glass of Sauvigon Blanc while everyone else was at work.
I ordered an open-faced sandwich served with a liver stew on marvelous slices of bread from Thuet's own bakery. When the plate arrived, I thought I saw lemon slices in the stew. This was an unexpected accompaniment to liver and the idea delighted me. Only after taking my first bite did I realize it was actually a greenish-yellow tomato that merely looked like stewed lemon. Thuet's dish was unquestionably brilliant, but my desire for lemon would not go away.
And so, here is my own chicken liver stew, as I had originally imagined it:
- Drain, rinse and trim around 200g (or a cup) of chicken livers. Try to get rid of the stringy sinew that connects the lobes and any excess fat. The sinew becomes gritty and tough to chew when the livers are cooked. Coarsely chop the livers into small pieces -- how small is up to your own personal preference.
- Finely mince 3 cloves of garlic (more if you want). Heat oil in a pot and add the garlic.
- Slice a small yellow onion into thin strips. Add them to the pot and sweat until translucent.
- Add the chopped livers to the pot and cook until most of the pink/purple has turned brown. It's best to under-cook them slightly, as they will be subjected to heat for a while longer.
- Pour just enough chicken broth/stock into the pot to cover the mixture, around 1-2 cups. Bring to a gentle boil then lower the heat down to a simmer.
- Add 1-2 Tbsp of tomato paste. Use ketchup if you prefer a sweeter stew.
- Add your choice of mushrooms. I like oyster mushrooms for this dish because the texture matches the texture of liver.
- Grate the rind of half a lemon and add it to the pot.
- Depending on how acidic you want the stew to be, add 6-10 thin slices of lemon.
- Add a sprig or two of fresh thyme. Rosemary also works well. If you have herbes de Provence, then by all means, add half-a-teaspoon of it to the pot. It doesn't matter too much what you use, as long as you stick with herbs that are commonly used in French cuisine.
- Pour in 1-2 Tbsp of brandy or Marsala. This is optional, but it adds depth to the flavor.
- In a small bowl, measure out 1-2 Tbsp of corn starch. Make a slurry in the bowl by adding some of the liquid from the stew and whisking it until there are no powdery lumps. This doesn't take a lot of liquid -- use just enough to moisten the corn starch without drowning it. Add the slurry to the pot.
- Once the stew has thickened to the desired consistency, season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve the stew with some bread, rice or pasta. Garnish with some capers and grate Parmesan on top.
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