Buttermilk fried chicken livers on bean and pea salad

Butter milk fried chicken livers on a salad of green beans, snow peas, peas and roasted shallot dressing

This dish is currently featured on the menu at Cafe Presse (summer 2016).

This recipe makes enough for 4 starter sized salads.

Note that the dressing recipe makes more than you will need for 4 servings but making a smaller amount is difficult (hard to use 1/2 egg).

 

Buttermilk fried chicken livers on summer bean and pea salad

Ingredients

livers

  • 8oz chicken livers (from free range chickens)
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon piment d’Espelette
  • 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • black pepper

dressing

  • 5 shallots (peeled)
  • 1 whole egg
  • 1 clove garlic (small)
  • 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
  • .75 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ground black pepper (to taste)
  • 1 pint organic rice oil (or other neutral vegetable oil)
  • 1/2 cup cream fraiche
  • 1/2 cup dill (stems removed)

salad

  • 4 cups mixed green beans, snap peas and peas
  • 1/2 Walla Walla sweet onion

Preparation

livers
1. Carefully pick over the livers, removing any veins or connective tissue. If there are any green spots, cut them out. Marinate the cleaned livers with the buttermilk and leave for at least 2 hours.
2. Season the flour with the salt, piment d’Espelette and a big grind of black pepper. Mix well, then set aside for later.
dressing
3. Peel the shallots, halve and shred. Toss with a little rice oil, salt and pepper, then roast on a small sheet pan in a 400 degree oven, stirring often, until the shallots are golden and fully cooked. Cool completely in a colander to remove any extra oil.
4. Put the egg into the bowl of the food processor with the garlic, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Puree until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the rice oil until the consistency is like a runny mayonnaise.
5. Stir the creme fraiche into the dressing by hand. Chop the cooked and cooled shallots and stir these in. Mix well. Check the seasoning and adjust as necessary.
salad
6. Stem the beans and snap peas. Shell the peas. Blanch each separately in boiling water until just cooked but still crunchy. Shock in ice water to stop the cooking. Drain well. Peel and finely shred the Walla Walla onion.
7. Toss together the beans, peas and snap peas with the onions. Chop the dill coarsely and add to the salad. Dress with shallot dressing to your taste. Arrange the salad on 4 salad plates, then drizzle with a little extra dressing.
8. Remove the livers from the buttermilk and shake off any extra. Dredge the livers in the seasoned flour, making sure each piece is well coated on all sides. Fry in peanut oil at 350 degrees until crispy and golden. Note the livers should remain pink in the middle. Season with salt, arrange on the salad and serve immeadiatly
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