Chicken Liver Massala

I love Liver and Chicken Livers are my favourite. First I was thinking of making Peri Peri Chicken Livers, but then decided to try something new and different. A little research with my best friend (she is called Google) and I found this recipe and after a little adjusting to personal liking I made this astonishingly yummy little curry.

Here the Ingredients:

500g Chicken Livers, cleaned and each cut in half

2 Potatoes, diced

1 cup of frozen Peas

2 large ripe Tomatoes, grated, (skin discarded)

1 Onion, sliced

3 Garlic Cloves, crushed

1 long Green Chilli, sliced

1 Cinnamon Stick

Oil for frying

The Massala Paste:

(mix all these spices to a loose paste)

2 tsp Water

1 tsp Cumin Powder

2 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp Chilli Powder

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

Start by flash frying the Liver in a hot pan for about 5 minutes, tossing them with a cheffy flourish every now and then. They do not need to be cooked though at this stage as they will cook some more in the sauce later on. Set these aside and in the same pan fry the Onion with the Cinnamon Stick and a sprinkle of Salt until softened. Then add the diced Potatoes and fry some more. Add a little water and cover to get those Potatoes to cook through.

 

While that is happening, start another large pan with a little oil and fry the garlic. Just for a moment, do not let it colour to much.

 

 Then add the Massala Paste to the pan and fry until fragrant and the oil gives out a lovely red colour and starts to separate.

 

Next add the grated Tomatoes and season with Salt. Let this bubble away for about 5 minutes.

 

Now the Massala is ready for the fried Potatoes and Onion to go in with the Peas and the precooked Liver. Simmer everything for about 7 minutes and check the seasoning. Add more salt if needed.

 

Finally stir in the Garam Massala just before serving.

 

Serve with Rice and Indian Bread and a vegetable dish of your choice. We are having Roasted Butternut Squash with Indian Spices today.

Braised Chicken Livers

It's sunny!!!! We may just have arrived in Spring. To make the most of it I want to spend minimum time in the kitchen. Quick, wholesome and of course Weightwatchers conscious is what I have in mind.

I thought some nice fresh green Veg with a sweet Mash and some tasty Chicken Livers will be perfect for this lovely day.

I boiled a couple of Potatoes and roasted a Butternut Squash and a Sweet Potato in the Oven, which then got mashed together to make my sweet Mash.

For the Chicken Livers I sauteed an Onion in a little Olive Oil and then added the prepared Livers (500g) to the pan. Seasoning is white Pepper, Sea salt, Paprika a Bayleaf and a touch of Cayenne Pepper.

I then poured in a cup of ready prepared rich Gravy to create a luscious Sauce.  Simmered until the Livers are just cooked (about 7 minutes) and then sprinkled with fresh chopped Parsley.

A few green Spring vegetables simply steamed made a fitting accompaniment.

It was just srummylicious.

(One portion using about 150g Livers and 1 large spoonful of Sweet Mash are 6 Weightwatchers Points)

Peri Peri Chicken Livers

Yesterday after our trip to Brighton Pier, my friend and I went to Nando's for dinner. Now you may laugh, but I had never been to Nando's before.
Here, of all places, I discovered this tasty little number. Peri Peri Chicken Livers.
I like to promote healthy cooking and eating, so this is my full of good things, high in flavour and none of the 'bad' stuff recipe.

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

400g Chicken Livers, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
1 red Pepper, sliced into strips
1 Onion, sliced
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
2 Birds Eye Chillies, sliced lengthways
1 Bayleaf
1/2 tsp Mexican Oregano
1 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tbs Peri Peri Sauce
50ml Port Wine
100ml Chicken Stock
1 tsp plain Flour, mixed with a little water to a slurry
Salt and Pepper

Start by gently frying the Onion and Pepper with help of a few cooking sprays in a heavy pan. Add the Chillies and Garlic and continue to fry on a medium heat until everything is softening.
Next add the Chicken Livers and season with Salt, Pepper, Oregano and drop in the Bayleaf.
Fry until the Livers are starting to turn opaque.
Pour in the Port to deglaze any bits catching on the bottom. Add the Chicken Stock, Flour Slurry and Peri Peri Sauce, bring back to a simmer, then cover with a lid and leave to cook on a low heat for a few minutes. Chicken Livers don't take very long at all to cook and they benefit from being slightly under rather then overcooked. So turn the heat off just before you think they are done and they will take their last bit of cooking from the heat in the pan.

Traditionally this dish is served as a starter with a nice bread or as a main course with Rice. Today I served mine with a Garlicy Root Vegetable Mash and some Blanched Savoy Cabbage.