In praise of… chicken liver

We served chicken liver pâté over the Christmas holiday, and I had forgotten how much I really like this dish, and how much I really hate liver.

I know, I know…. liver is highly nutritious. I get it, but I don’t care: it still tastes like desiccated rubber. And I still have childhood memories of not being allowed to leave the table until I had finished all the liver on my plate, and cramming it into my mouth to be disposed of asap in the kitchen bin.

But, as I was to discover years later - make a pâté out of the offending offal and you create something sublime that will satisfy foodies and healthniks alike.

Any liver will do to make pâté, but I particularly like chicken liver pâté, and not just because it is cheap and easy to make. If you’re entertaining, it makes an impressive starter that you can prepare the day before. Its nutritional credentials are first-rate.

Here’s what 100 g of chicken liver will give you.

Other nutrients found in high amounts in chicken liver include vitamin B3, vitamin B5, vitamin B6, zinc and copper.

If you would like to do magic with a chicken liver and turn it into pâté, here’s how.

Ingredients

• 200 g chicken livers

• 150 g butter

• Half a chopped onion

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1 tablespoon of brandy (optional)

• 1 tablespoon cream (optional)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Clean the livers and remove any white membrane

• Cut into half-inch pieces

• Melt the butter in a frying pan, fry the chopped onion until translucent

• Stir in the dried thyme, salt and pepper

• Add the chicken livers and fry quickly, 3 mins each side – cooked, but still pinkish

• Add the optional brandy and cream

• Transfer to a bowl and zap with a blender until you have the desired smooth/coarse consistency

• Serve on a salad leaf or, if you really must, a slice of toast. Garnish with some freshly chopped parsley.

Not only does this make a great starter, it also makes a great lunch, whether you are at home or in the workplace. I think a tomato salad goes particularly well with this creation.

Offal is the most amazing food, whether you love it or hate it. Whenever I check databases for the richest source of any particular nutrient, liver almost always tops the list.

Nevertheless, it’s so unpopular that, more often than not, it ends up in pet food. Nothing wrong with that; just don’t chuck it in the bin.