Chicken Livers in The Times

The New York Times, that is…  I was so happy to read a (nearly Paleo) recipe in last Wednesday's NY Times.

Organ meats are not only oh-so-Paleo, they're quite good for you!  In fact, after a post about eating other parts of animals (as in, aside from the skeletal muscle that we're all used to eating), I received some emails asking for suggestions as to how to prep them.

This recipe, for a 'Spicy Chicken Liver Salad' needs only a few alterations and it becomes Paleo Friendly!

• Swap the vinegar that the recipe calls for (easy to use lemon or lime juice, FRESHLY squeezed, NOT that silly stuff in a plastic bottle shaped like a lemon or lime and colored accordingly)
• Use mustard seed rather than prepared mustard, as the latter has vinegar
• Switch  the haricot vert (or 'green beans' as we say in the US) to ANY leafy green you like
• Opt for olive oil in lieu of ghee

Here is the recipe from the Times, written by David Tanis, with the non Paleo items highlighted in red as reminders to swap as recommended above.

Dressing

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, smashed to a paste with a little pepper

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salad

1/2 pound small green beans

12 chicken livers, trimmed, about 1 pound

2 teaspoons garam masala (see Note)

2 tablespoons clarified butter, ghee or olive oil

18 cherry tomatoes, halved

6 small handfuls salad greens (about 5 or 6 ounces)

1. For the vinaigrette: Mix the vinegar, mustard and garlic in a small bowl. Add a little salt and pepper, and whisk in the oil.
2. Cook the green beans in boiling salted water until barely tender, about 2 minutes. Drain, cool and set aside.
3. Pat the livers dry with paper towels, then season on both sides with salt and the garam masala.
4. Heat the butter or oil in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned livers in one layer and let them brown, about 2 minutes. Turn them over and cook 1 minute more, leaving them pink at the center. Remove from heat.
5. Dress the beans and tomatoes, if using, with half the vinaigrette, and add a little salt and pepper. Dress the greens with the rest of the vinaigrette, and pile them on a platter or individual plates. Top the greens with the beans, the tomatoes, if using, and the warm chicken livers.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
Note: Garam masala, a spice blend, is at spice shops and kalustyans.com. One version is made by pulverizing in a coffee mill or spice grinder 1 tablespoon green cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon cloves, a 2-inch stick cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg.

Click HERE to read the accompanying article.