Mmmm, chicken livers and bacon!

Recipe: Chicken livers with bacon and onions

I'm not going to make a big deal of this, but a lot of people don't like to eat liver. I'm one of them. My mom, bless her heart and soul, could cook the life out of a piece of calves' liver, even with fried onions. It was like dried shoe leather and, as a kid, I was required to eat at least half of whatever was on my plate. The only thing that saved me was copious amounts of Heinz 57 sauce.

Imagine my horror on a trip to the romantic Furnace Creek Inn in Death Valley years later, to find chicken livers on my breakfast plate. And let me mention that in Death Valley, there is nowhere to eat but the Furnace Creek Inn, normally a fine choice, so I was stuck. My Midwestern training still intact, I dutifully tried them. Heaven!! What a shock! So, although I still won't touch calves' liver, chicken livers are now among my favorite dishes. Go on, give it a try!

Sauteed Chicken Livers with Bacon and Onions

The trick with chicken livers is to not overcook them.

• 1 pound chicken livers, cut in half
• 2 slices thick bacon, cut in pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, cut in half and then in 1/2-inch slices
• 1/4 cup dry white wine, like sauvignon blanc
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large skillet, fry the bacon pieces until they are just short of crisp. Add the olive oil and the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fry, stirring now and then, until the onion is partially cooked but still holds its shape. Add the chicken livers and cook, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.

Pour in the wine and turn up the heat a little. Cook for another two minutes until the wine is almost gone. Turn the heat off.

Add salt and a generous grind of pepper and toss gently to combine. Serve alone with a green salad, or over cooked pappardelle (wide egg pasta) or spaghetti, or over baked or steamed potatoes.

The payoff:
Chicken livers give you a good dose of iron and protein plus vitamins B12 (terrific for stress) and A (sharp eyes).
This dish is gluten-free, served alone, over gluten-free pasta, or with potatoes.