Green pea chicken liver

Chicken liver with green peas, warm potato salad, and sauerkraut

Offal, organ meats are no foreign to Hungarian cuisine. Kidney, liver, heart, gizzard is regularly consumed. Goose liver is a popular specialty.

Organ meats rich in nutrients. Liver is a good source of protein, a concentrated source of vitamins: vitamin A, B vitamins in particular, minerals: iron, selenium, zinc, phosphorus, but keep in mind, liver is high in dietary cholesterol.

I have found organic chicken livers and I just could not resist the temptation of a good, juicy chicken liver supper. I used plenty of onion and garlic to cook soft, juicy liver with a creamy texture that just melts in the mouth.

You will need:
400 g chicken liver
500 g frozen green peas / petits pois
a large onion or two medium ones
3-4 fat cloves of garlic
ground caraway seed
dried marjoram
bay leaf
ground cumin
freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tbsp olive oil

1. In a thick bottomed skillet, pan brown the thinly sliced onions.
The pan should be wide, because we want the liver to be arranged in a single layer.
2. Wash and clean the livers and cut in half. Add them to the nicely browned onions.
3. Season generously with ground caraway seeds, dried marjoram, and with just a few pinches of ground cumin. Add the bay leaf and the minced garlic too. Gently fold in so the onion, liver and herbs & spices all combine. Cook on medium heat till the liver starts to brown a little here and there. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

You can stop here. The dish is done, ready to be enjoyed.
Tips: You can top freshly toasted garlic bread with this delicious liver to make liver crostini OR you can blend it to make a delish pâté to spread over crispy bread or crackers.

4. Add the frozen peas, pour some water to loosely cover the peas, put the lid on and gentry simmer for 10-12 minutes, till the peas are done.

For the warm potato salad you will need:
500 g young potatoes
a red onion
a bunch of parsley
1 heaped tbsp whole caraway seeds
olive oil

1. Scrub the potatoes and quarter. Put the quartered potatoes into a bowl of water and wash off the starch. Boil the potatoes in slightly salted water, drain.
2. Cut the onions into thin slices and put them into a bowl. Add the drained potatoes. Sprinkle generously with whole caraway seeds. Drizzle with some olive oil. Add the chopped parsley too, and gently fold in to combine the ingredients.

I used to serve the chicken liver smothered in onion (no peas) with creamy potato mash and crunchy sauerkraut. For me this dish is just isn't complete without the sauerkraut (white cabbage and some salt). This tasty sour cabbage could not be left out this time either. Make sure you serve it along with the liver. Enjoy!