Hate Chicken Liver? This Cooking Method Might Change Your Mind
Look, we know chicken liver isn't for everybody. While some folks live and die by the stuff, others can't look past the fact that it's an internal organ that acts as the filtration system for the entire body. But once you do, there's much to be admired about chicken liver, especially when it's made into lightly grilled kebabs and dressed in a brightly flavored lemon butter.
Chicken liver is a nutritional powerhouse, rich in protein, B vitamins, iron, and vitamin A. While it's milder in flavor than beef or pork liver, it still has a strong meaty and mineraly taste that some people find off-putting. What's more, the liver's soft mealy texture can quickly turn hard when cooked for just a hair too long. To avoid that rough texture but still cook the liver properly, Chef Mark Strausman's hot tip for cooking flavorful chicken liver involves giving it a nice seared crust. That's why grilling chicken liver over an open flame for just a couple of minutes on each side is the best way to get that coveted flavorful char without compromising the texture of the dish. Because raw chicken livers are small, slippery little buggers, they could easily fall through the grates in the grill. Making them into a kebab by sliding several on a (wet) wooden skewer allows for easy grilling.
Elevated grilling for liver kebabs
Although some people believe chicken livers are best served rare, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends against consuming liver that isn't properly cooked as it can contain harmful bacteria (like the potentially life-threatening Campylobacter). As such, chicken livers should be cooked all the way through, with a pink center and an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. On the grill, reaching that internal temperature shouldn't take more than two to three minutes for each side. To further protect yourself from food poisoning, steer clear of livers with green spots when buying chicken liver, as this indicates spoilage. Once the liver kebabs are a decadent golden brown, it's time for them to be sauced.
While chicken liver is often a rich and hearty dish, transforming it into kebabs perfectly suited for a backyard barbeque is easy with the right sauce. For a super easy lemon butter sauce, all you need is melted butter, the juice from a few lemons and parsley. While the butter compliments the velvety richness of the liver, the lemon juice and parsley brighten things up with their clean citrusy and peppery flavors, respectively. This sauce could also work well for a simple baked chicken livers recipe, served over rice or put atop a toast point.