sunday delicious quicky – chicken livers with spinach (martin blunos)

I just love chicken liver, probably once every week. Normally I do the same recipe every time because it’s quick and SO tasty: Marc Vetri’s pasta with chicken liver.

So yesterday I decided to try something new …. a recipe where I had all the ingredients at home. And I found this one at BBC Food.  One of the best websites for easy, quick and tasty recipes by the British TV and Michelin star Chef Martin Blunos.

I had the pleasure enjoyed his famous signature dish: Duck egg with scrambled egg topped with Beluga caviar which was flambéed tableside with vodka under the egg. Very impressive and delicious. The dish that is shown in the video. 

His restaurant was just outside Bristol along the road to beautiful Bath, The Lettonie. I didn’t pay for the bill that evening. Located in a stately home … converted into a lovely hotel. It closed in 2001,  but it gained 2 Michelin stars.

I always have chicken liver in the freezer, because the package is too big (500gr) So I divide the liver into 4 portions and freeze 3. I’m very picky that it has to be liver from Swedish chicken because I don’t anything else anymore. Swedish chicken is guaranteed salmonella free.

When it comes to trimming the chicken liver I always use a scissor, so much easier to handle and quicker than with a knife.  And I always rinse the chicken liver rinse thoroughly with cold water.

The original recipe used sherry, but I didn’t like sherry and don’t have any at home … so I used port wine instead

With the spinach, I would say … spend that little extra time it takes to pick the stalks away, even if it’s baby spinach leaves.

During my apprentice’s time, I very quickly learned how to chop the onion very finely and I always ended up chopping the onion for the caviar, because nobody could do it so fine as I did. My mentor and the head chef said it was “pinhead” fine.  In all honesty, I don’t chop all onion fine anymore. But it’s an art but it is also down to the knife. *laughing.

Personal I don’t like my chicken liver “well done” … now it has to be a little pink in the middle, so seared is just perfect for me.

English mustard in Sweden??? I’m sure if I went to a posh deli shop I would get. So I mix French with some Swedish (which is strong and sweet) .. a perfect match.

This dish took me 15 min in total. So this is a “quick fix” dish.

Seared chicken livers with spinach, peas and port wine, 4 portion 

25g/1oz unsalted butter
1tbsp olive oil
250g/9oz chicken livers – trimmed and cut into even-sized pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
50ml/2fl oz sherry or port wine
¼ tsp English mustard
500g/1lb 2oz baby leaf spinach
50g/2oz fresh cooked peas or frozen defrosted peas
pinch of nutmeg
lemon juice
200g/7oz new potatoes, boiled and lightly crushed, to serve 

 

1. 1 Heat a non-stick frying pan and when hot add the butter and oil.
2. Season the chicken livers with salt and freshly ground black pepper and place into the pan with the shallot and garlic. Cook for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally to brown all over.
3. Add the sherry and the mustard and stir well.
4. Lift the livers out and set aside.
5. Add the spinach to the pan with a tablespoon of water and cook for a minute.
6. Add the peas and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and some grated nutmeg. Cook until the spinach has wilted, then add the lemon juice.
7. Return the livers to the pan and stir together.
8. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then pour out onto a plate. Serve with crushed new potatoes.

I love new potatoes, but none around anymore … and I don’t really feel for buying a big bag from Isreal that will cost me an arm and leg. So I look for small floury potatoes instead. and treat them as new potatoes, scrub them well and boil them with the skin on.

When I crush potatoes I use some butter and parsley (frozen).

This dish is so delicious … and so easy to make.

A great Sunday dinner for a lonely diner.

Thank you, BBC!!!

“Dinner alone is one of life’s pleasures.”
Laurie Colwin