Here is my special recipe for Cashew-Crusted Chicken Livers with Red Wine Reduction:
(makes 2 4-oz. servings)
Thaw 1/2 lb. of pastured chicken livers; remove all connective and fatty tissue and discard. Slice livers crosswise in 1/2” slices or in nugget-sized pieces. If the pieces seem really wet set them on a paper towel.
In a food processor, grind the following into a fine meal (watch this process carefully so you do not end up with cashew butter!):
- 1/2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
- 1 tbsp. dried oregano leaves
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 cup of organic raw cashews (unroasted/unsalted), preferably soaked and dehydrated (you can do this yourself by following the recipe for crispy nuts in Nourishing Traditions, or buy already soaked/dehydrated cashews at www.WildernessFamilyNaturals.com)
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup pastured pork lard or other healthy fat of your choice until it shimmers (such as ghee or chicken fat--though lard gives the absolute best results). Dredge liver pieces in cashew meal and fry in hot lard over medium-low heat just until the outside of each piece turns from liver-colored to brown; since the pieces are small this only takes a few minutes -- it is very important not to overcook them as the characteristic liver flavor will become much more pronounced.
Remove the liver pieces from the pan and pour in 1 cup of dry red wine. Over high heat, bring the wine to a vigorous boil as you scrape the meat drippings and cashew crust from the pan. Allow the liquid to reduce until it is thickened, then pour over the livers. Add fresh-ground black pepper and unrefined sea salt to taste, and chopped parsley as a garnish if desired.
A cooking client recently described these as being "like candy" because they are so delicious! Oliver declares them "tasty and delectable" and will happily eat them every day for a post-nap snack.
*A few notes: use the same cashew meal blend for chicken nuggets (first roll in beaten egg, dredge in cashew meal, and fry in lard) -- your kids won't know they're eating something healthy! I like to make 2 cups-worth of cashew meal at a time and store it in a glass jar in the refrigerator so I have it ready any time I need it. While I'm at it I also make cashew butter which I use for the most incredible grain-free pancakes ever (recipe forthcoming).
With this recipe, you can make your New Year's resolution to eat more liver a pleasant and easy-to-achieve reality. Enjoy!
More on the benefits of liver:
Quite simply, liver contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. Liver should be sourced from grass-fed or pastured animals. All creatures store nutrients in high amounts in the liver, which makes it an incredibly nutrient-dense food. In summary, liver provides:
- An excellent source of high-quality protein
- Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A--important for fertility & growing babies
- All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12
- One of our best sources of folate
- A highly usable form of iron (highest in pork and chicken liver)
- Trace elements such as copper, zinc, and chromium (liver is our best source of copper)
- An unidentified anti-fatigue factor (liver really is uniquely energizing!)
- CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardiovascular function
- A good source of purines – nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA
this recipe sounds divine! we still regularly make your chicken liver pate recipe (our fave!) and now we'll try this one next! thanks, hannah!
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