I made this with duck fat (!!!) instead of EVOO and also added a couple chopped boiled eggs. One of the best things I've ever eaten. I would double it next time.
Chicken Liver Crostini
A version of this recipe appears in Flavors of Tuscany (Broadway Books, 1998) by Nancy Harmon Jenkins.
Credit: André Baranowski
6 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. chicken livers, trimmed
4 anchovy filets in oil, drained and
finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp. vin santo or sherry
1⁄4 cup chicken broth
1⁄4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp. salted capers, rinsed and chopped
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice plus 1 tbsp. lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper,
to taste
1 baguette, cut into 36 slices
1. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse chicken livers and pat dry with paper towels. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until browned and slightly pink on the inside, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, transfer livers to a cutting board using a slotted spoon (so oil is left behind), and finely chop them. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Return skillet to medium-high heat. Add anchovies and cook, stirring frequently, until they dissolve in the oil, 2–3 minutes. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic; cook, stirring, until soft, 10 minutes. Add vin santo and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and cook until liquid is mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add livers and their juices, along with parsley, capers, lemon juice, and zest; season mixture with salt and pepper and cook until hot, about 2 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; let cool slightly. Transfer liver mixture to bowl of a food processor and pulse until chunky (or, if you prefer, purée until smooth). Refrigerate. Put bread on a baking sheet and brush with remaining oil; bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly, then spoon liver mixture over toasts and serve.
SERVES 12
Pairing Note: An intense, sweet wine like the 2007 Santa Julia Late Harvest Torrontes ($10), from Argentina, will complement the richness of the liver. —Ania Zawieja
