Crisp Cooked Chicken Livers With Capers Recipes

CHICKEN & CRISPY CAPERS WITH NEW POTATOES

Steps:

• Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and tip in the potatoes, boil for 8-10 mins, until cooked through, then drain.
• Mix the flour and oregano, then toss the chicken in it. Put the oil in a pan over a high heat and fry the capers until crispy, about 2 mins. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Turn the heat down a bit and add the chicken, then fry until golden, around 10 mins. Tip the drained potatoes into the pan with the olives. Fry for 10 mins, until the chicken is cooked through and a little charred. Squeeze the lemon juice over, scatter with capers, parsley and lemon zest and serve with the salad.

CRISP-COOKED CHICKEN LIVERS WITH CAPERS

Steps:

• Pick over the livers to cut away and discard any tough connecting membranes or dark spots.
• Put the livers in a bowl and add the milk. Let stand about 10 minutes and drain thoroughly. Drain further on paper towels.
• Coarsely chop the onion slices. There should be about 5 cups.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large, heavy skillet and add the onions, cloves, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onions are lightly and evenly browned. Add the capers and honey and continue cooking until the onions are light-caramel colored. Add the vinegar and stir.
• Dredge livers in the flour, keeping the pieces separate. Shake off excess flour.
• It may be necessary to cook the livers in more than one batch. For each batch heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy skillet and add the livers without crowding. Cook, turning the livers until they are quite brown and crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Line a bowl with a sieve and drain the livers. Add more oil and a second batch of livers. Cook as before and drain.
• Wipe the fat from the skillet and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Return the livers to the skillet and add the onion mixture. Stir to blend. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

CRISPY CHICKEN BREASTS WITH LEMON AND CAPERS

Steps:

• To make bread crumbs: Tear or cut 1/2 lb. firm, white, country style bread into 1-2" pieces. Put few handfuls into the bowl of a food processor, and pulse into coarse crumbs. Repeat until you have 4 cups of crumbs. Pour crumbs into mixing bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted, unsalted butter.
• Heat large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add bread crumbs and cook, stirring, until crumbs start to color and crisp, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook, stirring, until crumbs dry out and have browned nicely, about 6 minutes. Cool before using.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Put flat rack on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil.
• With a meat pounder or a heavy skillet, lightly pound the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap to even out the thickness of the breasts.
• In a large bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano, 2 1/2 tablespoons of the capers, 1 tablespoons of the thyme, and the oil, mustard, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Squeeze 1-2 lemon wedges to get 1 tablespoons of lemon juice and add to the mixture, along with 2 tablespoons of water. Add the chicken and toss to coat well. You can proceed directly to coating the breasts with crumbs, or let them marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
• Put the breadcrumbs in a large shallow dish and toss with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmigiano, 2 1/2 tablespoons capers, and 1 tbsp of thyme.
• Working with one piece at a time, transfer the chicken to the dish of crumbs, scoop some crumbs on top, and press well a couple of times so the crumbs adhere to both sides. Use the heel of your hand and a firm rotating motion to press crumbs onto the chicken, Don't shake off any excess when transferring the breasts to the baking sheet; keep as many crumbs on the chicken as possible.
• Bake the chicken until it's firm to the touch and registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately with the remaining lemon wedges for squeezing over the chicken.

CRISPY CHICKEN THIGHS WITH PEPPERS, CAPERS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Start the chicken: Pat chicken dry and place in a large bowl. Season well with salt and pepper. Add garlic, rosemary, red-pepper flakes, lemon zest and juice. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss the thighs to coat, using hands to smear the mixture evenly over the chicken. Let marinate for 1 hour at room temperature, or, if time permits, overnight in the refrigerator.
• Make the peppers: Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large, wide skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. When oil begins to look wavy, add onions and stir to coat. When the onions begin to soften (don't let them brown), add peppers and stir to combine. Season well with salt and pepper, and add garlic and red-pepper flakes. Stir to incorporate and reduce heat to medium. Cover, leaving the lid ajar.
• Cook mixture for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until completely soft. Add olives, vinegar and capers, and cook for a few minutes more, just to meld the flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with oregano. Set aside. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Cook the chicken: Place a large cast iron or heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is wavy, add chicken thighs, skin-side down. Shake the pan to make sure the chicken isn't sticking.
• Lower the heat to medium. Place a piece of parchment or aluminum foil on top of chicken and set another skillet on top. Add some weight - a brick or canned goods, for example - to the top skillet. Set heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, checking occasionally to be sure chicken isn't sticking, until the skin side is beautifully browned.
• Turn thighs over and cook for 10 minutes more, until thighs are cooked through. (To test, pierce the chicken with a paring knife. The juices should run clear.) If you wish, turn the thighs skin-side down again and let crisp for a few more minutes.
• Serve 1 thigh and a large spoonful of stewed peppers to each guest. Leftover peppers, if any remain, will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

CHICKEN LIVERS ON TOAST

Steps:

• Pick over the livers, cutting away any fatty bits and sinew, then pat the livers dry. Place the shallot, parsley and capers into a bowl and drizzle with half the olive oil and 1 tbsp of the Sherry vinegar.
• Toast the bread (preferably on a griddle but a toaster is fine). Toss the livers in the flour and cayenne pepper, and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and fry the livers over a really high heat for 4-5 mins until brown and crisp on the outside and cooked, but still a little pink in the middle. Splash remaining vinegar into the pan and bubble down for 1 min.
• Tip the contents of the pan in with the shallot and parsley, toss everything together, season to taste, then pile onto the toasted bread. Season with a little crunchy sea salt and serve.