Seven Spiced Chicken Livers

We have bought slightly more chicken livers than the recipe states – because it’s the boy’s cat’s favourite, and it’s not fair that we have it and he doesn’t.

This is really a starter.

250g chicken livers

Flaky salt

Olive oil

1tsp Lebanese Seven Spice

1tbsp unsalted butter

1tbsp pomegranate molasses

1tbsp yoghurt

Flatbreads

1tbsp dried yeast

650ml warm water

1.2kg strong flour

2tsp table salt

Pomegranate molasses are available from Turkish stores. I’ve had to make up my own Lebanese Seven Spice – the Thai kind is easier to find. It’s roughly equal amounts of coriander seeds, cumin, allspice, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorn and half the amount of cloves and nutmeg. Grind finely. Or do as I do and get the boy to do it in the brass cylinder grinder.

I start with the bread – this makes more than you need, but I don’t make bread often and this will be nice for lunch tomorrow.  Mix 10ml of the water with the yeast to get it going. I love the smell of baking yeast – it’s just very yeasty and satisfying. Add this to the flour and salt. Along with the rest of the water and give it a good mix. It will be lumpy but that’s fine.  Let it sit for 10 minutes.

Knead it for 10 minutes. This is exhausting, and why I don’t make bread often. Prove it for an hour, so back in the bowl and cover with cling film.  Pull it into 4 balls. Heat  a griddle pan over a high heat and stretch the bread out to about the same diameter.  Cook for about 5 minutes, turning them once. Blister marks are good.

Now the chicken livers. First give the cat his share. Much purring.

Put some olive oil in a wide pan and salt the livers. Put the livers in and just let them brown for a minute, without stirring them. After you’ve sat on your hands for a minute turn them and add the 7 spice. And then the butter. Now put in the pomegranate molasses and the yoghurt. Have a little scrape around the sides of the pan.

Done! And the flat breads are still hot. We’re having it with a mini salad of grated red cabbage and grated carrot. As if the boy thought he was getting away without one.