Of all the organs found in the gut of the chicken, the liver is one of the few that is edible. Although liver is considered an excellent source of nutrients, it's also a power house for toxin storage. The liver's primary function is to produce bile, which helps with the absorption of dietary fats. Normally, poultry livers range in color from tan to yellow to deep red. The color is determined by what the chicken ate last and doesn't reflect the age or health of the bird. A green liver, however, is a sign of disease. Green livers are condemned in the slaughterhouse by the United States Department of Agriculture. Cooking chicken livers requires careful handling. To ensure that cooked chicken livers are safe for eating, make sure they are not undercooked, because bacteria can survive in undercooked livers [source: USDA, NZFSA].
We will now tell you how to cook chicken livers.
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Chopped chicken livers
Ingredients:
- 1 pound (453 grams) fresh chicken livers
- 6 tablespoons chicken fat
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt
- Black pepper
- Two hard boiled eggs, chopped
Directions:
- Rinse the livers and pat them dry with a towel.
- Heat 2 tablespoons chicken fat in a large frying pan, and add the onion. Stir occasionally for about 12 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.
- Remove the onions from the pan.
- Return the frying pan to the fire and add 2 tablespoons of chicken fat.
- Sprinkle salt on the livers, and place them in the frying pan in a single layer. Cook the livers for about two minutes on each side. You may have to cook the livers in batches. Add the rest of the chicken fat, as necessary.
- Chop or mash the hard boiled egg.
- Coarsely chop the liver with a fork.
- Add in the egg. Your livers are ready to be eaten [source: Food Network].
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