Poultry liver

[moikel]

I am back at my desk after running up to Hong Kong for a 50th birthday party. Now thats a nose to tail town .Those guys eat just about anything you can think of. This new section was kindly created after  my gentle suggestion so I better support it.

I notice there are a few guys who hunt ducks,geese etc so I  will post a Northern Italian duck liver dish that will adapt to just about any poultry liver wild or farmed. 

I just need to unpack,detox find out what happened when I was away.

 

[daveomak]

Mick, evening...  Hope the "detox" is going OK.....  Hey, you reminded me of a recipe for chopped liver that has been in the family for decades, maybe centuries...  This one used chicken livers...  It is really good on light caraway rye or pumpernickel  bread.....  We like the final texture somewhere close to once through a 1/8" plate.... grandma always chopped it with a double blade hand held chopper.... looked something like a 2 blade Ulu...  don't know what they're called and ain't seen one... I think she brought hers from Europe when she came here...

Chopped Liver.jpg

• daveomak
• Dec 16, 2012

 

[moikel]

Sounds like a mezza luna (half moon  in Italian), you see them in old Italians houses probably came with them on the boat in the 50s& 60s.Theres a lot of those chicken liver spreads over there spread on bread. This is more of a plate dish,liver,speck,shallots,garlic,red wine splash of balsamic vinegar,sage ,cbp.Served on a potato pancake,rosti,hash brown depending on where you are.

I figured the water fowl hunters could try it with duck or goose OR  it might be able to be up sized further for deer or elk.

 

[venture]

You guys are evil!

Hope my other half doesn't see this thread.

She thinks she hates livers and hearts, but she has been bugging me to make some chicken liver pate.

She will be visiting relatives later this week.  Maybe I will give her a nice surprise when she comes home.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[daveomak]

 This is more of a plate dish,liver,speck,shallots,garlic,red wine splash of balsamic vinegar,sage ,cbp.Served on a potato pancake,rosti,hash brown depending on where you are.

I'm up for trying something like that..... Dave eats anything .... 

 

[venture]

Oh Dave!

Potato pancakes made with lots of bacon drippings? (there is no fat or grease in bacon drippings!)

Throw in the livers and eggs?  Maybe a pot of coffee with egg shells?

You are taking me back to memories from a couple of generations ago.

Amazing how food back then came with joy and no guilt?

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[DanMcG]

she has been bugging me to make some chicken liver pate.

Hey Merv do you have a recipe for the pate? our family use to make one, but there was never a recipe, just some chicken livers, bacon, onions and mayo. Been so long I really don't remember. I'd love to see how you do it.

 

[moikel]

Hey Merv do you have a recipe for the pate? our family use to make one, but there was never a recipe, just some chicken livers, bacon, onions and mayo. Been so long I really don't remember. I'd love to see how you do it.

Got plenty here mate but mine don't have mayo! With or with out bacon wrap.Let me know I will stick it in this new section.

 

[daveomak]

Hey Merv do you have a recipe for the pate? our family use to make one, but there was never a recipe, just some chicken livers, bacon, onions and mayo. Been so long I really don't remember. I'd love to see how you do it.

Dan, morning.....  Try a small batch with shmaltz..(rendered chicken fat)...Use the recipe I put in the thread... I tell ya, it has an incredible flavor... Process it until it has the texture you are looking for....  Dave

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Dec 19, 2012

Ingredients not all . Butchers daughter doesnt eat duck liver so I will just do one plate.

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Dec 19, 2012

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Dec 19, 2012

Finished product,I couldnt find the grater so gave up on potato pancakes.Have the MES full of bacon made 2 kg of mushroom butter trying to get things done to go into xmas basket x4 for staff.

This how it goes fried bacon in a little butter removed bacon fried shallots added duck liver trimmed of connective bits. Fried gently ,cpb turned it.Added garlic,sage leaves fried a little more,then a splash of red wine,drizzle balsamic vinegar.Done,just a little pink in the middle the way I like it. 

I used to add cream ,no vinegar & put it over pasta but I cut out flour,processed foods & few other things when I ventured out into the brave new world of dating after end of marriage at start of year.New girl a nutritionist & butchers daughter & grand daughter.

This style of cooking is worth a shot with other liver.

 

[daveomak]

Mick, morning....  Looks good... The liver is cooked to perfection....  

 

[moikel]

Just pink in the middle.I always thought people were put off liver by it being over cooked.Lambs fry as its known here still gives me nightmares. I used balsamic but I think any good vinegar would do,red wine,sherry. I have cooked this for years lovely with the right red wine.

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Dec 19, 2012

Missed a shot,red wine & splash of balsamic not to much. Bubble it for a minute or 2 . Then its done. I like sage with liver but rosemary is fine just go easy. Hell of a lot of good things about liver particularly for women lots of iron I dont need convincing I like the taste.

 

[venture]

It has been a while.  I'm sure I have a basic recipe around here for the chicken liver pate.  Not that I ever follow it.

Dan, from memory, no mayo.  Shallots, garlic, lots of butter.  A little white wine? Touch of rosemary and thyme? Sometimes a boiled egg or two? Sometimes I gently fry the livers, others I simmer them. When I fry, I add the rosemary while frying, when simmering I just leave it out.

One of those things I throw together each time based on my mood at the moment.

If I get it made before New Years, I will post this season's version.  As always, just a starting point or an item for consideration, as I never really follow it myself.

This is a fun thread and I will save it to get back to.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[moikel]

I was asked to make a big country style terrine for a party my butcher through when he bought his farm about 3 hours from Sydney.I used a venison liver , duck liver & a bunch of other stuff.Turned out really well.The cholesterol cops have some issues with it but...

 

[venture]

As I suspected, the pate recipe lurking in the computer files was nothing but a list of ingredients with no measures or method.

My favorite version starts with a pound of chicken livers gently sauteed in bacon grease.  Remove livers and add some chopped challots and tsp of finely chopped fresh rosemary  to sweat down well. If you are feeling French, a pinch of thyme wouldn't hurt.  Add about 1/4 cup white wine and reduce to a near syrup.  Add a cup of chicken stock and reduce below half.  Tasting will tell you when it becomes mature and sweet.  Add reserved livers and heat for a couple of minutes.

Remove livers to a food processor, add a chopped boiled egg and a spoon or two of the cooking liquid.  Blend, pulsing.  Add more cooking liquid or a tablespoon or two of wine if desired. Continue pulsing while adding softened butter until desired consistency is reached. Freezes well.

As I said earlier, like its cousin the sausage, it is a matter of personal taste.  I doubt I have made it exactly the same way twice.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[moikel]

That looks like the real deal to me Venture .People get all fancy smancy with liquor but I am not convinced it adds that much. 

This is a fun thread!

 

[chef jimmyj]

Mick your liver is perfectly cooked. I am a huge fan of Duck liver. It's flavor is so much smoother and more mellow than Chicken liver. I have made Liver Pate many times from poultry, Turkey liver is tasty, and Pigs liver. My absolute favorite is pate made with Foie Gras but at $60+ a pound, it has been several years since that last wonderful batch. I use my twist on a French style pate...JJ