Sautéed Chicken Livers with Capers

A nice light meal for Winter. This is Spanish, and from the chef behind London’s Brindisa. It would make a great Tapa as part of a selection too.

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot finely chopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

400g free range chicken livers

Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

2 tbsp salted capers

5 sprigs flat leaf parsley, leaves stripped off & chopped

4 slices good bread

1 small onion very thinly sliced

4 mint sprigs – just the leaves, chopped

Don’t tell the boy he’s having chicken livers – he will only protest. Just present him with the finished article and he’ll be fine. Things on toast appeal to him. It’s really cold still, so this would be perfect for picking up with your hands in front of the TV.

Sautee the onion and garlic in the oil until soft but not coloured. Add the liver, season and fry for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the vinegar and reduce for 3 minutes, by which time the vinegar smell should have gone. Stir in the capers and parsley.

Toast the bread and cut each slice in half. Top with the livers and place a few paper thin onion rings and a pinch of chopped mint on top of each one. Serving with a glass of Fino would be a nice touch.

New York’s Trattoria Dell’Arte is famous for its version which essentially skips the capers and replaces the sherry vinegar with ¼ cup aged Balsamic. I think the sharpness of the capers better matches the rich creamy livers, however.