For years I ate boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cutting off any extra fat with the precision of a skilled surgeon. Fat was the enemy, you see, and the idea of eating organ meats was just anathema. But those days are long gone now that I have been enlightened to the health benefits of eating more than just low fat cuts of animal flesh. Organ meats, including chicken livers, are really high in nutrition. Liver is full of vitamins A and B12, Folate, Pantothenic Acid (B5), iron and selenium – all things our bodies need to function well.*

In spite of this earth-shattering information, my husband, G, has threatened to become a vegan if I try to serve him chicken livers. Now THAT’S quite a threat! But if he were to allow himself to try this recipe for Chicken Liver Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette he would find there’s no need to go to the dark side. The inspiration came from my recent perusal of a Nigella Lawson cookbook. G seemed very interested in said cookbook but I dare say it was Nigella he fancied and not the chicken livers. Nigella’s recipe calls for maple syrup and sherry vinegar but she references a time when raspberry vinegar was all the rage for similar salade tiède on restaurant menus. Since I had some raspberry balsamic vinegar on hand I decided to give it a try and it turned out delicious.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 10 oz chicken livers
  • 8 cups arugula
  • 2 tablespoons raspberry balsamic vinegar
  • celtic sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place the arugula into a bowl that you will use for tossing it with the dressing.
  2. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the livers for about 8 minutes, turning them and squishing them so they cook evenly.
  3. Once the livers are done, take the pan off the heat and add the vinegar to the pan to deglaze it and mix with the oil.
  4. Pour the liquid from the pan onto the salad greens, add salt and pepper to taste and toss.
  5. Divide the greens between two plates, place 1/2 the chicken livers on top of each salad and serve warm.

Serves 2

The preparation was easy and quick. I made it for myself for lunch and it was ready in no time. The raspberry vinaigrette went REALLY well with the liver and the bite and slight bitterness of the arugula counter-balanced the sweetness perfectly. I think even G might be impressed. We shall see….

*Because the liver is an organ that filters out bad stuff, eating organic chicken livers would be ideal to minimize any toxins that might build up in the livers of conventionally produced chickens. 

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Chicken Liver Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

  • Author: Lea Valle
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 mins
  • Yield: 2 Servings 1x
  • Category: Salad

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 10 oz chicken livers
  • 8 cups arugula
  • 2 tablespoons raspberry balsamic vinegar
  • celtic sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Place the arugula into a bowl that you will use for tossing it with the dressing.
  2. Heat the oil in a skillet and cook the livers for about 8 minutes, turning them and squishing them so they cook evenly.
  3. Once the livers are done, take the pan off the heat and add the vinegar to the pan to deglaze it and mix with the oil.
  4. Pour the liquid from the pan onto the salad greens, add salt and pepper to taste and toss.
  5. Divide the greens between two plates, place 1/2 the chicken livers on top of each salad and serve warm.

 

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