Chef Mark Strausman's Hot Tip For Cooking Flavorful Chicken Liver
When someone feels taken for granted, you might hear them liken themselves to "chopped liver;" this phrase highlights the generally unfavorable organ and its high likelihood of being passed over in favor of leaner, heartier cuts of meat. Luckily, expert chefs such as Mark's Off Madison's Mark Strausman have a few tricks up their sleeves for producing liver so delicious, you'll want to replicate it at home.
Strausman heads the famed New York restaurant, formerly Fred's at Barneys New York, where he brings his classic European training to the Big Apple with a quintessentially New York twist, offering traditional Jewish foods, homemade pasta recipes, and beloved Belgian fries.
Since the chef provides such a wide array of intricately designed meals for palates of all shapes and sizes, it seems clear that his advice regarding a meal like chicken liver would be highly sought-after. When prompted for his advice regarding proper preparation of the fowl's filter organ, Mark Strausman had this to say: "Call your grandmother. If she's not available, here's my tip: Make sure the chicken livers are cooked in very hot oil because searing them creates a crust that gives intense flavor."
What are the best ways to prepare chicken liver?
With chef Mark Strausman's advice in mind, there are a number of ways to prepare and plate chicken liver that make the oft-reviled vitamin and mineral-heavy meal as savory and appetizing as a prime steak. As Strausman says, searing the livers in oil preheated to high temperatures provides a delicious crust, which creates a kick of flavor and a satisfying texture. If you want to get really creative with your old-fashioned liver recipe, you could even break away from traditional methods to fry up some southern-style fried chicken liver, which, when coated and fried properly, should offer up a delightful crunch and mind-blowing taste.
Chicken livers can also be sliced thin to provide maximum surface area for the crust to form, making them perfect as a shaved additive to stir-fries, dirty rice, or stroganoff. The meat can be paired with onions, peppers, and garlic, or wrapped in maple bacon and broiled for the perfect pre-dinner appetizer.
Of course, chicken liver isn't a part of many home cooks' usual repertoire of weekly meals, meaning it may take a few tries to determine your favorite method for preparing the vitamin-rich dish. If you're interested in getting a taste of chicken liver from an expert who knows exactly how to prepare it, be sure to book a reservation at Mark's Off Madison.