Recipe below: Penne with Chicken Livers, Summer Tomatoes, Cognac, and Sage
In Diana Vreeland’s “Why Don’t You?” column in Vogue, she would dare us to do all sorts of zany things like ride down Fifth Avenue on a leopard wearing nothing but a pair of jewel-incrusted Roger Vivier court shoes, and other wild fashion stunts. I’m thinking of starting a food version of that column, suggesting you try cooking something you might not want to, for fear or disgust.
This gets me thinking about chicken livers, which happen to be one of my favorite foods. I understand that a lot of people don’t love them, whether from the way they look, reflecting too strongly on what they actually are, or maybe just thinking they don’t like the taste. Okay, I sort of get that. But all I ask is that you try them this way, in a pasta dish, with beautiful end-of-summer tomatoes and a lot of fresh herbs.
Here are a few tricks to making delicious chicken livers: First, buy really good ones, not the nasty Perdue brand, and make sure they’re really fresh. Dry them well, so you can get a good crispy sauté. Also—I learned this in my years of restaurant cooking—a last-minute flame-up with cognac or brandy or grappa or a fruity eau de vie will do wonders to remove that slightly irony taste that many find unappealing. Also you must not overcook them. A uniform gray throughout is no good. Ideally a touch of pink in the center is chicken liver perfect.
For herbs, sage and liver are a time-honored combo, so I went with them. But to round out the dish I added rosemary, too, incorporating it during the cooking so it mellowed out. The sage I cut into chiffonade and scattered in on at the end. I sometimes find that if you chop sage finely and leave it too long on the heat it can get a musty taste. This way it stays fresh, without opening up and permeating the whole dish.
Penne with Chicken Livers, Summer Tomatoes, Cognac, and Sage
1 pound good quality organic chicken livers
Salt
Black pepper
A big pinch of sugar
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, possibly a little more
1 large shallot, cut into small dice
1 small carrot, cut into small dice
¼ teaspoon allspice
4 or 5 small sprigs rosemary, the leaves well chopped
A splash of sweet vermouth
4 or 5 medium round summer tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut into medium dice, and then drained for about 15 minutes (but save the tomato water)
1 pound penne
A splash of cognac or brandy
About 6 sage leaves, cut into chiffonade, plus a few nice-looking whole sprigs for garnish
A chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano or grana Padano cheese
Trim the chicken livers of any connecting sinewy tissue, and then cut them into approximately 1-inch chunks. Dry them well, and stick them in a bowl. Sprinkle on a little salt, black pepper, the sugar, and a drizzle of olive oil. Give them a toss.
Set up a pot of pasta cooking water, add salt, and bring it to boil.
While the water is coming to a boil, get out a large skillet, and set it over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and half of the butter. Add the shallot and carrot, and sauté them until softened, about 4 minutes or so. Add the allspice and the rosemary, season with a little salt and black pepper, and cook a minute longer, just to release their flavors. Add the splash of sweet vermouth, letting it bubble out. Add the tomatoes, and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. You really just want to heat them through, not cooking them much, to preserve their freshness. Turn off the heat.
Put the penne in the boiling water.
Get out another large skillet, and get it hot over high heat. Add the rest of the butter. When the butter is bubbling, add the chicken livers, spreading them out over the pan. Let them cook without moving them around at all until you can see them start to brown nicely, about 3 minutes or so. Using tongs, turn the livers, and brown the other side, about a minute or two longer. You want them to stay a touch pink at the center. They may sputter and pop a little while cooking. Don’t let that upset you. It’s normal. Just stand back a bit. Add the cognac, which will most likely flame up. I find it exciting. Shake the pan for a few seconds, just until the flames die down, and then add the livers to the tomato sauce.
Drain the penne, and pour it into a large serving bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil and the sage chiffonade, and give it a toss. Add the tomato liver sauce, and toss gently, adding some of the tomato water if it seems dry. You can also add a bit more butter, if you like (I usually like). Check for seasoning, and then garnish with the sage sprigs and serve right away, bringing the cheese to the table for grating.