NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
July 15, 1999
It's been my observation that many people are either-or thinkers, generally, when it comes to chickens, which either did or didn't precede the egg, depending upon your point of view.
When it comes to eating chicken, this dichotomous mind-set is equally in evidence. There are those who love only white meat and those whose favorite cut is the drumstick. Those who like their fried chicken crispy (me, for one) and others who are content to eat chicken adorned in a soggy skin suit resembling that of a lizard.
But there seems to be more consensus about the giblets, those formerly vital organs that are sold in numerous ways by enterprising grocers and other meat purveyors. Many people I know despise all members of this avian trio--heart, gizzard and liver.
I'll admit that I've not spent a great amount of time thinking about how to artfully prepare chicken hearts, and I used to refrain from eating gizzards, until I ate some of my friend "Evvy" Marum's barbecued gizzards. Now I make barbecued gizzards à la Evvy.
After cleaning and trimming the pieces, I poach the gizzards for about an hour in a solution of three-fourths water and one-four white vinegar, to which I've added a bouquet garni (a cheesecloth bag) filled with pickling spices but no fresh herbs. After straining and rinsing the poached gizzards, I douse these delectable bundles with a hearty barbecue sauce and put the mixture into a slow cooker, which I set on high and thereafter allow the combination to stew for about three hours. The result? Fork-tender gizzards that go great on crackers or thin slices of French bread.
Judging from the number of restaurant menus I've seen featuring pan-fried chicken livers, I think there are more culinary risk takers willing to indulge in this variety meat. I love chicken livers, especially in pate. If you share my fondness, I think you'll find the following recipe to be well worth your effort.
Speckled Pate
Yield: 8 servingsIngredients:
4 slices bacon
up to 4 tablespoons unmelted butter (optional)
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed and halved
½ teaspoon each, dried rosemary and thyme, crumbled
3 tablespoons brandy
4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)Procedure:
In a medium skillet, cook bacon until deep brown and crumbly. Remove, crumble bacon and place on paper toweling for later. Drain drippings from skillet into small heat-proof container and measure; add back to the skillet 4 tablespoons of drippings, if available, or add the drippings and enough butter to equal 4 tablespoons. Saute onions in skillet until translucent and add chicken livers, rosemary and thyme. Cook mixture for about five minutes over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, before adding the brandy; then, cook about two or three minutes longer, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits. Transfer mixture, including pan juices, to a food processor and puree until smooth. Place pate in a mixing bowl, add the bacon and eggs, season to taste with salt and pepper, cover, and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Serve in a decorative crock garnished with chopped parsley, if desired.
What's Your Take on This, Julie
I've never been a picky eater, other than the fact I've kept liver at a 10-foot distance from my mouth since birth. OK, I tried a bite once or twice. Variety meats such as liver also are named "offal" parts (pronounced awful, incidentally). Tongue, heart, liver and tripe (stomach) are all offal items since they are not part of the carcass.
Since variety is a key to a healthy diet, I'll provide you (and me) with some good reasons that variety meats should have a place on our plates at least once in a while.
Liver is a popular variety meat in the United States and abroad. In France, you might be served "pate de foie gras," a spread made from goose livers. It's considered a delicacy.
Nutritionally, liver is an all-star, contributing iron, vitamin A, and the B vitamins riboflavin and niacin. A nutritional downside is that liver is high in cholesterol, with levels of from 350 to 500 milligrams per 3.5-ounce serving, depending on the source. But low iron is one of the leading nutrient deficiencies in this country, and a 3.5-ounce serving of liver contains about one-third of the daily requirement for iron, along with about 220 calories.
Interestingly, a research study involving Eskimos who ate a diet high in polar bear livers showed that the Eskimos suffered from vitamin A toxicity, because vitamin A, a fat-soluble vitamin, is stored in the liver. So stay away from polar bears and their livers.
Variety meats such as liver, hearts, and gizzards often are economically priced at the meat counter. Livers vary in size depending on the source. A beef liver weighs more than 10 pounds and usually is cut into smaller pieces for sale, while poultry livers weigh a few ounces.
When selecting liver, look closely before adding it to your shopping cart. Avoid buying liver that looks discolored or dehydrated. Usually a lighter red color is a cue that it's more tender. Refrigerate and use it within two days or freeze it in moisture-proof wrapping.
Liver is easy to prepare. When it's time to cook, peel away the outer membrane if your butcher hasn't done so already and slice it into 1/2-inch thick serving-size pieces. Beef and pork liver may be less tender than you might like, so cook either using a moist-heat method such as braising. Liver is often cooked with bacon or onions to impart flavor. The livers of calves and lambs often are more tender and delicately flavored, as compared to beef and pork.
A serving (one-eighth of the recipe) of Speckled Pate contains about 240 calories, 13 grams of fat, one-third of the daily recommendation for iron and a full day's supply of vitamin A.
Try making this spread for your next party. Just don't tell your guests it's liver, and the serving platter will be empty fast. I might even try a bite.
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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187
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