Chicken Liver Stroganoff
Submitted by loz
Chicken liver stroganoff: quickly seared livers, sauteed mushrooms, and sweet softened onions in a tangy soured cream and yogurt sauce. A rich, economical twist on stroganoff over rice or pasta.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsA clever, economical spin on stroganoff that swaps pricey beef for tender chicken livers. The result is rich and savory, with sweet slow-cooked onions, sauteed mushrooms, and a tangy soured cream sauce lightened with a little yogurt.
The whole dish hinges on one thing: not overcooking the livers. Seared hot and fast for just a few minutes, they brown on the outside but stay rosy and tender within. Push them further and they turn grainy and dry, so a quick sear is everything.
Take your time with the onions, though, cooking them gently for 15 to 20 minutes until soft and sweet. Once the livers are seared, the mushrooms and onions go back in with the seasoned soured cream, and the sauce bubbles just until it thickens and clings. Serve over rice or pasta, or with crusty bread to mop up every drop.
Chef Tips
- Sear the chicken livers hot and fast, about 3 minutes, so they stay pink and tender inside; overcooking makes them grainy and dry.
- Pat the livers dry before searing so they brown rather than steam.
- Cook the onions slowly until sweet and soft; they balance the richness of the livers.
- Warm the soured cream sauce gently and don’t let it hard-boil, or it can split; season generously.
Variations
- Add a splash of brandy or sherry to the pan before the cream.
- Stir in a little Dijon or paprika for a more classic stroganoff flavor.
- Serve over buttered egg noodles, rice, or with fried bread triangles.
Ingredients
Directions
Thoroughly heat a large sauté or frying pan.
Add a scant ½ oz of the butter and tilt so that the fat runs sizzling all over the pan base.
Add the mushrooms (whole if small or sliced thickly if large) and sauté over high heat for 5 minutes.
Remove and keep hot.
Add the rest of the butter to the pan, then the onions which should be thinly sliced and pushed into rings.
Cook very gently indeed for 15 to 20 minutes until beautifully softened.
Meanwhile stir the yoghurt into the soured cream and season very generously with salt and pepper; trim the chicken livers and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
Lift the onions out of the pan with a slotted spoon, so all the buttery juices drip back into the pan, and keep them hot.
Increase the heat under the pan and sauté the chicken livers for about 3 minutes so they become crusted with brown on the outside, but remain deliciously pink and tender within.
Return the mushrooms and onions to the pan and immediately pour on the seasoned soured cream.
Let the sauce bubble up and cook for a few minutes until it is very hot, slightly reduced and thickened.
Stir gently every now and again to encourage the sauce to cling creamily to the meat and vegetables.
Check seasoning and serve without delay. Green beans and triangles of fried bread go well with this dish, and I like to accompany it with plenty of crusty hot French bread to mop up every luscious drop of sauce.
More substantially, you could substitute rice or thin ribbons of pasta for the bread.
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