CHICKEN LIVER CARBONARA
I remember when I first picked up a pack of chicken livers on a whim. Having been bought up on lambs livers and onions and freshly into the whole barbecue scene I was tantalised by the thought of what they would taste like. That and the fact that they were less than £2 for a pack of 400g I thought it would be worth a punt.
What I wasn't expecting is just how fricking good they would taste. They are not as intense as pork or lambs liver and loaded goodness (including vitamin B12 which I am told by my wife is very good for you). They are that good that I am at a loss why this little secret is not more widely known and as with a lot of offal is often sneered at.
This is a great starter recipe for getting your taste buds round chicken livers, cos hey everything tastes awesome when team with fresh pasta, cheese sauce and bacon!
Ingredients
- 400 g chicken livers
- 1 pack of streaky bacon or bacon lardons
- 1 pack of fresh spaghetti or tagliatelle
- 200 g Small block of parmesan cheese grated
- 2 eggs
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
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Pat the livers with a kitchen towel and just get rid of some of the excess juices then season with salt and pepper.
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Heat some olive oil in a cast iron pan and cook the livers with the bacon. Most typical liver recipes suggest that livers only need a quick sear but personally I leave them on for as long as the bacon about 10- 15 minutes in total so they are still pink but not as bloody. This is up to your personal preference.
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Whilst the meat is cooking boil the pasta according to the packet instructions. Then drain but hold back about a ladle full of pasta water. This will add a thick starchy element to your pasta sauce.
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Allow the meat to cool a bit then transfer to a chopping board and cut into bite size pieces.
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In a mixing bowl add the parmesan cheese with the two eggs to get a scrambled egg looking mixture.
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Transfer the pasta with water, cheesey egg mix into the cast iron pan which should have the juices left over from the cooked meat. and cook on a low heat for about 5 minutes.
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Mix the meat and sauce together and serve with some fresh garlic bread.
