This recipe uses one of my favourite ingredients, chicken livers (although Alan hates them). It also makes the most of the almonds that are currently in season. Enjoy!
Ingredients (Serves 4 to 5 as a tapa)
- Half a kilo of chicken livers. Cut off the straggly bits
- 2 to 3 slices of grated day old bread. White is best.
- 100 to 120 grams of almonds – roughly chopped. Some say you should blanch the almonds first… but as I generally can’t be arsed, then you don’t need to either
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, crushed or very finely chopped
- Pinch of saffron
- A medium glass of dry sherry… or use white wine like I do
- 250 ml vegetable stock… although chicken stock also works really well
- Some flour for dusting
- Extra wine to see you through whilst you cook
- A couple of good glugs of olive oil
- Plenty of crusty bread to serve
Method
- Let’s start with the sauce by pouring the olive oil into a large frying pan, and pop it over a low heat. It should just about cover the base
- Throw the bread into the pan, and also the almonds
- Stir regularly for a couple of minutes or until the breadcrumbs are turning a golden colour
- Add the crushed garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds, stirring constantly
- Add the sherry (or wine) and a pinch each of salt and pepper
- Now whack the heat up and bring it to the boil. Keep it boiling for a couple of minutes
- Take it off the heat… set to one side and disappear off to polish off your own glass of wine
- Once the sauce has cooled slightly, pour into a food processor and give it a good whizz
- Add the stock and whizz it again. You can use one of those hand blenders, but that doesn’t leave a hand free to hold your wine
- Pop it to one side – the sauce that is, not your wine. Top up your glass if necessary
- Right – now onto the livers. Chop them into bite size pieces
- Toss them in flour
- Add another good glug of olive oil into your frying pan and bring to a medium heat
- Add the chicken livers to the pan and cook them, stirring and turning, for a couple of minutes until the livers are firm to the touch but still a little pink inside
- Now grab the sauce and pour that over the livers in the frying pan.
- Lower the heat and stir, bringing the sauce back up to temperature
- Serve in a nice cazuela and plenty of crusty bread.. oh and more wine – don’t ever forget the wine!
- Leave someone else to do the washing up ;)
Elle, along with Alan, is the owner of Spain Buddy and the busy web design business – Spain Web Design by Gandy-Draper.
Born a “Norverner”, she then spent most of her life “Dann Saff” before moving to Spain in 2006. Elle’s loves are Alan, the internet, dogs, good food, and dry white wine – although not necessarily in that order.
