We love liver -- and you can, too! Cashew-crusted chicken liver recipe

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)

Pour the meal into a shallow bowl for dredging.

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

Gourmet chicken liver pâté

This easy recipe for delicious chicken liver pâté is adapted slightly from Mark Bittman's recipe, 12/30/09 New York Times. It should be puréed very smooth and refrigerated for a few hours to achieve the right consistency; however, babies and toddlers will enjoy eating some warm from a spoon directly after puréeing. For a snack or light lunch rich in nourishing fat-soluble vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, folic acid, and much more, serve on buttered whole grain sourdough bread (I recommend toasted!) along with fermented grape juice or my lacto-fermented ginger ale.

* 15 peppercorns
* 4 allspice berries
* 2 cloves
* 8 coriander seeds
* 2 tbsp. butter + 6 tbsp. butter
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 pound chicken livers (from free-range, pastured, organically-raised chickens -- livers may be soaked in lemon juice for several hours to draw out toxins, but honestly I have never done this yet)
* 2-3 tablespoons brandy (any inexpensive brand will do)
* unrefined sea salt to taste
* 1/3 cup cream (heavy/light/or cultured, such as sour cream or creme fraiche)

1. In a spice grinder or using a knife (heavy handle for crushing, then the blade for mincing), crush the peppercorns, allspice berries, cloves and coriander seeds; grind until fine and set aside.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; add onion and cook until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add livers to pan along with any blood that is in the package (don't worry about separating out the connective tissue -- just dump everything in) and sprinkle thoroughly with salt; cook livers on one side until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes, then flip them and cook the other side (sprinkle with salt again). Be sure to keep heat relatively high so that the outside of the livers sear and the inside stays pink. Add brandy while cooking so the alcohol will evaporate.

3. Put onion, livers and the pan juices into a food processor or blender with the remaining butter (6 tbsp.), the cream, and spices. Purée mixture until it is completely smooth; taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Put pâté in a crock or heavy glass dish with lid, smooth the top and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or until fully set. Serve with fresh or toasted whole-grain sourdough bread.

LIVER: What's not to love? Quite simply, it contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. In summary, liver provides:
• An excellent source of high-quality protein
• Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A
• All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12
• One of our best sources of folic acid
• A highly usable form of iron
• Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper
• An unidentified anti-fatigue factor
• CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
• A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA.