Chopped Chicken Livers on Sourdough Toast
(RECIPES BY MIKE LATA AND JENNI RIDALL)
ACTIVE 30 MIN. – TOTAL 45 MIN.
SERVES 10
This easy make-ahead dish is basically chicken salad made with livers. “We convert a lot of our guests on livers,” Lata says. “It’s one of those things people think they don’t like…so we serve them at dinner parties, and everyone really enjoys them.”
2 lb. chicken livers
2 tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste
1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
8 center-cut bacon slices (8 oz.), chopped
1½ cups mayonnaise
¼ cup minced red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 1/2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
4 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and roughly chopped (1½ cups)
2-3 dashes hot sauce (such as Tabasco) or your fav, plus more to taste
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1- (12-oz.) artisanal sourdough bread loaf, cut into ½-inch-thick slices (about 10 slices), toasted
Thinly sliced radish
Mustard microgreens (optional)
Grated fresh horseradish
- Clean chicken livers of any bruises, membranes, and connective tissue, leaving livers as whole as possible, and pat dry. Season with 1½ teaspoons of the salt and 1¼ teaspoons of the pepper on both sides, and set aside.
- Heat a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium. Add bacon slices, and cook, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a plate lined with paper towels, and set aside.
- Working in batches, add chicken livers to skillet with bacon fat. Cook over medium until browned on both sides and pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes total. Transfer livers to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, scraping all browned bits on top. Let cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
- Stir together mayonnaise, red onion, parsley, whole-grain mustard, lemon juice, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Cut cooked livers into ½-inch cubes, and add to mayonnaise mixture. Add hard-cooked eggs and cooked bacon. Gently fold everything together with a rubber spatula until just combined. Season with hot sauce, and add additional salt and pepper, if desired.
- Spread butter over toasted bread, and top slices evenly with chopped chicken liver mixture. Garnish evenly with thinly sliced radish, mustard microgreens (if using), and freshly grated horseradish. Serve immediately.