Chicken Livers With Shallots And Marsala Recipes

CHICKEN MARSALA

Steps:

• Place the flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a ziplock bag. Add the chicken to the bag; seal bag tightly and shake to coat chicken evenly. Set aside.
• Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (Use a stainless steel pan for the best browning. Nonstick will work too, but you won't get that nice golden color on the chicken.) Place the flour-dusted chicken in the pan, shaking off any excess first, and cook, turning once, until the chicken is golden and just barely cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon of salt; cook for 1 to 2 minutes more. Add the broth, Marsala, heavy cream, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon of pepper; use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the pan into the liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, until the sauce is reduced by about half, slightly thickened, and darkened in color, 10 to 15 minutes (you're going for a thin cream sauce; it won't start to thicken until the very end of the cooking time). Add the chicken back to the pan, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens a bit more, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve.
• Note: If your chicken breasts are large (like the ones in the photos that are about ¾ lb. each), it's best to first cut them horizontally to form four flat fillets, then pound them to an even ¼-inch thickness. If you pound large chicken breasts without first halving them, they'll be huge. Of course, you could also pound them thin first and then cut them in half vertically; the only drawback is that they'll lose their natural shape (which, admittedly, is not a big deal!).

CHICKEN LIVERS WITH SHALLOTS AND MARSALA

Steps:

• Remove strings or sinew from livers. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour; shake off excess.
• Heat olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Saute livers in two batches (using more butter and oil if necessary with the second batch) until nicely browned and still pink in the center, about 2 minutes on each side.
• Remove livers from saute pan; place on a plate, covered with foil, to keep warm. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon fat; discard. If there is not enough fat in pan, add more olive oil. Add shallots and herbs; saute until shallots are soft and slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add Marsala; simmer until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock; simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat, and swirl in remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over livers before serving.

CHICKEN LIVERS WITH MARSALA

Steps:

• Clean the chicken livers by removing any obvious veins and bits of fat. Cut out any green spots, which are the bitter-tasting bile. Slice into small pieces. Slice the onion very thinly. In a heavy-based frying pan, gently cook the onion in a little olive oil until fully softened and pale golden. Increase the heat and add the butter. Once it starts to foam add the sage, then after a moment the chicken livers. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring all the while. The livers should be firm on the outside and still pink in the middle. Now add the Marsala and a small knob of butter and allow the mixture to bubble until you have a nice thick sauce. To serve Serve on fresh bread, polenta or crostini. This dish is lovely warm or cold. This recipes is featured in the book, Autumn is available now in all good bookstores RRP $34.95. To order direct call 1300 656 059 or visit www.smh.com.au/store