Tuscan Chicken Liver Sauce

Name: Tuscan Chicken Liver Sauce
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, approximately; 3 ounces pancetta, minced; 1/3 cup slivered shallots; 6 to 8 fresh sage leaves, torn; 6 ounces chicken livers, picked over and finely chopped; 2 tablespoons capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed, pressed dry on paper towels and coarsely chopped; 2 to 3 salt-packed anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped (optional); 1/2 cup red wine, approximately; Freshly cracked black pepper; Salt to taste; 1 bay leaf, lightly bruised; Grilled or toasted baguette (not sourdough), soft or grilled polenta, boiled pappardelle or mashed potatoes

By Florence Fabricant

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(20)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: THE CHEF: JUDY RODGERS; A Humble Ticket To a Tuscan Treat

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

8tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, approximately
3ounces pancetta, minced
⅓cup slivered shallots
6 to 8fresh sage leaves, torn
6ounces chicken livers, picked over and finely chopped
2tablespoons capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed, pressed dry on paper towels and coarsely chopped
2 to 3salt-packed anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped (optional)
½cup red wine, approximately
Freshly cracked black pepper
Salt to taste
1bay leaf, lightly bruised
Grilled or toasted baguette (not sourdough), soft or grilled polenta, boiled pappardelle or mashed potatoes

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat one tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add pancetta, and cook, stirring, until it just begins to brown. Reduce heat to low, add another tablespoon of oil, and stir in shallots and sage. Cook for about a minute, until shallots have softened.
Step 2
Add livers, capers and optional anchovies. Stir, adding 3 to 5 more tablespoons oil. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until livers are putty-colored but have not become stiff. Stir in most of the wine.
Step 3
Bring to a simmer, and season generously with pepper. Add salt if needed. Simmer 5 to 10 minutes, until some of the liquid has cooked down and mixture is thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon but is not dry. Remove from heat, add bay leaf, and set aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 4
Briefly reheat mixture, adjusting oil, wine and seasonings to taste. Remove bay leaf, and serve spooned over toast or on polenta, pappardelle or mashed potatoes.

Ratings

4 out of 5

20 user ratings

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Comments

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Charlotte K10 months ago

I made this exactly as written, except that I added --chopped flat leaf parsley at serving to give some color and --a few drops of lemon and a pinch of ground garlic, just to lift the flavors a bit It's delicious. I served over pappardelle. I'm going to put the leftovers in the oven tomorrow and add some cream and grated parm

Marianne5 years ago

Wow - beautiful. Unexpectedly good. I was concerned there was no garlic in the recipe, and I didn’t have red wine to hand so I used masala instead. Really wonderful, so glad I cooked it.

pix7 years ago

I was searching for a recipe to use chicken livers. This one sounded great, I made a few minor changes because of what I had in the pantry.
I doubled this recipe because I had enough chicken livers to do so. I only had 4.5 ounces of pancetta, brined capers (which I rinsed, dried, and chopped); and anchovies in oil. I also add the bay leaf with the red wine and a 14.5 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes, as per my own taste. Served over polenta with sauteed spinach to accompany. Delicious!

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