While growing up I never enjoyed eating liver… with one exception: chicken liver. I do not know why, but it may have been because they taste milder and are less bitter than other liver. Anyhow, there are 2 dishes made with chicken liver that I have always LOVED and I am going to share one of them with you today (stay tuned for the other one as it will be coming up soon). In this case, the chicken liver is cooked al cartoccio (or en papillote), which means that they are put into a baking paper parcel and then baked. I love this method of cooking as it holds in the moisture that steams the food and makes it full of flavour. I use this method a lot to cook fish. This is a very easy and elegant dish that can be served both as a main dish or as an appetiser and it is great for dinner parties… it is always so much fun to present guests with their individual parcels and see them opening it to find out what is inside! 🙂
Ingredients (for 4 people):
400 gms – 14 oz. chicken livers, washed
6 tbsp breadcrumbs
½ tbsp fennel seeds
½ onion, minced
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Put the breadcrumbs, fennel seeds, minced onion and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Keep aside.
Cut 4 square pieces of baking paper and take 1 to work with. Put a quarter of the chicken livers in its centre, sprinkle a quarter of the breadcrumb mixture on the top and drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil.
Create a little parcel and close it with a piece of string.
Repeat the same process for the next 3 parcels.
Bake them in a pre-heated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 10 to 15 minutes depending on how well cooked you like livers.
I’ve always loved chicken livers, too. Must be their softer texture. Never thought of en papillate, though! Brilliant! Gotta try!
I really love leaver, especially beef one.. and I’m gonna try this recipe! 🙂
As a child in the States we ate chicken liver a lot. It is part of the Jewish heritage and growing up in NY you are definitely influenced by it. I think I have never had chicken liver in Italy and I don’t recall seeing it for sale so this post came as quite a surprise. I also had never heard of making liver al cartoccio. I am definitely intrigues, it looks delicious. Now I will look out for chicken liver when I go shopping.
Hi Manu, I am pure veggi but i like to read about different style of dishes and delicious photos. looks just yummm.
In Japan we eat chicken liver with yakitori style…and I never liked it. My husband is crazy about it so I just pass it to him nowadays. This is the most pretty presentation of chicken liver – it’s in parcels. How cool is that!
I used to stir fry the liver but its been long I haven’t eaten it. I always learn something new when I come to your blog. Those little parcels are real goodies.
Hum – I’ll have to think about this one. I love chicken gizzards, but the cat gets the chicken liver. 🙂 However – with the right recipe, I have been known to learn to love something I wouldn’t eat before. This one might help me like chicken livers. That would thrill the hubby since he is always jealous of the cat. 🙂
Hi MJ! I just read this and I really think you can make the same recipe also with gizzards! We used to buy them together (that was when I was a child and the butcher would sell the whole chicken with “everything” in it) and my mum would often mix them 😉
Sai sempre sorprendermi Manu! Questa ricetta – che non conoscevo – sembra davvero ottima!
This recipe looks great: it is a great idea for a spin on a pate’ appetizer for Christmas or some other celebratory dinner!
I think my issue with liver (not sure which kind I was served as a child) was the dryness, but this looks like a rather moist dish I think I’d enjoy. 🙂
My husband buys chicken livers and always fries them. I knew there was a much better and healthier way to prepare them and you have brought forth a tasty recipe that proves just that. This method of preparation is a super way to create a well seasoned and moist dish. Thanks for posting this Manuela!
I have really only had chicken livers in the form of pate. This looks so interesting and would be fantastic at a dinner party! I would love to try this
My husband loves chicken livers. He likes them deep fried, but I think he would like them this way as well. I’m not big on them, I think they taste alright but I can never get over knowing what I’m eating. This looks like a wonderful presentation though!