Sauteed Chicken Livers with Blueberry Vinegar
Submitted by woodstockjudy
Sauteed chicken livers dusted with warm spices, deglazed with blueberry vinegar, and finished with creme fraiche and fresh blueberries. A French-inspired dish.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
15 minREADY
40 minThis is refined chicken liver cookery at its best. The livers get a light dusting of flour seasoned with ginger, mace, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves before a quick saute in butter with scallions. The spice blend gives them a fragrant warmth without burying the liver’s natural mineral richness.
The blueberry vinegar deglaze is where this dish goes from good to memorable. That sweet-tart vinegar hits the hot pan and reduces into a sticky, concentrated glaze in seconds. Scraping up the browned bits from the bottom adds another layer of savory depth.
Creme fraiche whisked into the reduced vinegar creates a lush, tangy pan sauce that clings to each liver. Fresh blueberries added at the very end just warm through, keeping their shape and popping with bright juice against the rich, creamy sauce.
Pro Tips
- Trim the livers carefully, removing any green bile spots. Even a small amount turns the whole batch bitter.
- Shake off excess flour thoroughly. Too much coating absorbs the butter and creates a pasty texture instead of a crisp sear.
- Don’t overcook the livers. They should be slightly pink in the center. Overcooked livers turn chalky and grainy.
- Serve immediately. The sauce thickens and the livers toughen as they sit.
Variations
- Swap blueberry vinegar for raspberry vinegar and use fresh raspberries for a more tart version.
- Serve over toasted brioche or a thick slice of country bread to soak up the sauce.
- Add a splash of brandy to the pan before the vinegar for an extra layer of warmth.
Ingredients
Directions
Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet and gently sauté the scallions for 5 minutes.
Shake the flour in a plastic bag with the spices, salt and pepper.
Drop the livers into the bag with the flour, shake them to coat well, and empty bag into a strainer set over a bowl.
Shake the strainer to remove excess flour.
Return the skillet with the scallions to the stove, braise the heat, and when hot add livers and cook, turning occasion-ally, for about 5 minutes or until livers are browned slightly stiffened.
Remove them with a spoon and keep warm.
Add the vinegar to the skillet and deglqaze over high heat, scraping up any browned bits and reducing the vinegar to a few syrupy spoonfuls.
Whisk in the creme fraiche and boil for 1 minute.
If you are using fresh blueberries, add them to the sauce and simmer gently for another 2 or 3 minutes, just long enough to heat the berries through without overcooking them.
Arrange the livers on serving dishes and spoon the sauce over them.
Serve immediately.
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