My today’s recipe chicken liver in pomegranate jus with quince rings sweet potato puree and Dark Horse Wine is a real delicacy and could be an old oriental dish from the house of the Sultan. My pan-fried chicken liver is crispy on the outside and juicy rosy on the inside. It has a creamy texture and tastes simply delicious when combined with sweet quince caramelized in quince juice and honey and a creamy sweet potato purée. The crispy baked sage and the strong sweet and sour pomegranate jus, give the dish a unique flavor explosion! A perfect match is a strong red wine and in this case, a dry Zinfandel from Dark Horse goes perfectly with it.

DISLIKED OR A REAL DELICACY

There are a few special food that many people can’t deal with. They polarize, you either love them or you hate them! Such as Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, coriander, blue cheese, licorice or raisins to name just a few. Others feel a bit queasy at the thought of eating offal. But I think this is a mistake, e.g. liver is a real delicacy on the plate.

Negative childhood memories can also influence these opinions. Often liver was served chewy, high rolled or slightly bitter. But some foods deserve a second chance and you will be surprised. With this recipe I want to prove that liver is a culinary delicacy. My husband and I are absolutely impressed and believe it is even perfect as an inexpensive holiday meal.

UNUSUAL COMBINATION OF FLAVORS

My favorite thing about cooking is experimenting with unusual flavor combinations that will surprise the taste buds. If you have read this far, I am guessing that you are also a fan of liver. Maybe you used to hate it and love it even more today.

In today’s recipe, the combination of quince, sweet potato, and chicken liver, creates a unique sensation on the tongue. The slightly bitter taste of the chicken liver stimulates the appetite, but also gives freshness and balances the sweetness of the quince cleverly. The rich pomegranate jus balances the minerality of the liver and is mouth-watering. Well, have I turned you into a chicken liver lover with this recipe?

NOSE TO TAIL EATING

I am a big fan of nose to tail eating, if an animal is going to die, we should use it whole respecting the animal. Butchers are concerned about utilizing all parts of a slaughtered animal. I know from our butcher that the customers only buy the best parts of the animal, e.g. breast and fillet. Especially with chicken, most people only buy the breast and thighs. I wonder what happens to the rest of the animals? Fortunately, chefs are serving us other parts beyond the tenderloin. Instead of just roasting chicken breast, try my delicate recipe with chicken liver.

BETH LISTON AND DARK HORSE

Dark Horse is an unknown horse that wins a horse race unexpected and surprises everyone. When applied to a person, Dark Horse is a person who is not expected to succeed or win an election, race or other competition, but wins it surprisingly. Likewise, Beth Liston, a creative old-timer lover from California, who is headstrong, non-conformist and experimental.

She enjoys challenges so about ten years ago she quit her career to follow her passion as a newcomer. She started in winemaking and surprised many critical voices with her success. Her unique wines have even made it to the top of several competitions and she celebrates huge success at the international market. I like the logo of Dark Horse very much and the price/performance of the wine is also unbeatable. In addition to Dark Horse Zinfandel*, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon* and Merlot* are also on the German market.

ZINFANDEL ON STAGE

To match my dish, I chose the Zinfandel wine from Dark Horse*. The Zinfandel is not just a perfect pairing to my dish, but it also a game changer in my pomegranate jus. Zinfandel is a varietal red wine and surprises as well. Beth Liston has “tickled out” the best from the grapes of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys in California.

Zinfandel shines ruby red in the glass and is lush and full-bodied on the palate. Part of the wine is aged in oak barrels, which gives it a slight hint of oak. The flavors of black pepper, chocolate, and currant perfectly balance with my oriental-flavored dish. This wine tastes excellent and can easily hold its head up with fine wines. It’s no wonder that the Zinfandel has won many international awards”.

OTHER COUNTRIES OTHER CUSTOMS

In many cultures, offal is a delicacy, including in Iran. Basically, in Iran, we use all parts of an animal. Waste in any way is regarded as unacceptable. A popular street food from Iran is a chicken liver sandwich (Sandwich-e Jigar), which is served in a sandwich with lots of braised onions. Another delicate street food from Iran is a skewered lamb liver (Kabab-e Jigar) wrapped in a flatbread.

I WANT TO EAT YOUR LIVER

Iranians show you affection by saying they want to eat your liver. So one says “Jigareto bokhoram, Elahi” when he is crazy about a person or loves him to death. Here it depends on the intonation, the more intensification the more loving. What is great compliance in Farsi, sounds very strange in the German translation: “I want to eat your liver.”

Another popular phrase of affection is “Jigare mani” which means you are my liver. The liver is one of the largest and most important organs in our body, without the liver we would survive only a few hours. Jigare mani therefore means, you are necessary for my life’s survival. When we find a person marvelous and kindhearted, we say “Jigar Tala” to him. Instead of a heart of gold, in Persia, we have a liver of gold.

HEALTHY CHICKEN LIVER

The liver from organic chicken is very healthy and can be consumed without hesitation. It is a Myth that the Liver Contains Toxins. The main function of the liver is to remove toxins from the body, i.e. it filtrates the toxins and does not store them. Chicken liver is not only really cheap but also has low fat and is rich in vitamins and minerals.

In terms of minerals, chicken liver contains magnesium, sodium, and zinc, in addition to iron and potassium. The iron of the liver is easily absorbed by the body and helps to metabolize proteins better. Iron is beneficial for fatigue and assists the body in the production of red blood cells. If you suffer from an iron deficit, you should eat liver once or twice a week.

Chicken liver is also a high-quality source of protein. 100 g of chicken liver has about 172 calories and 100 calories of it come from proteins. So the liver is even lower in calories than chicken breast and also higher in protein. Eating liver once or twice a week can boost your energy.

In vitamins, chicken liver is rich in vitamins A, B, especially folic acid, and B12, vitamins C and E. Vitamin A supports our skin, eyes and is important for cell and tissue growth. The amount of vitamin A in the liver is so high that pregnant women should not eat liver in the first trimester of pregnancy, as it can harm the unborn child. Vitamin B12 is not produced by our body and should be supplied from the outside. A vitamin B12 deficit can lead to serious nervous disorders and even damage to the nerves. Vitamin B12 is also important for our bone structure.

INGREDIENTS FOR POMEGRANATE JUS

1 kg chicken bones (wings, neck)

1 carrot

1/4 piece of celery

1/2 leek

1 shallot

2 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

250 ml Zinfandel red wine

1 l pomegranate juice

salt, pepper

SPICES FOR POMEGRANATE JUS

1 sage sprig

1 rosemary sprig

3 thyme sprigs

3 bay leaves

3 cloves

3 Pimento seeds

6 Juniper berries

INGREDIENTS SWEET POTATO PUREE

1 kg sweet potatoes

250 ml water

50 g butter

200 ml cream

1 pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated

1 pinch chili powder

1 pinch of cinnamon (optional)

salt

INGREDIENTS CRISPY FRIED SAGE LEAVES

A few sage leaves

2 tbsp ghee

Salt

INGREDIENTS CARAMELIZED QUINCES

2 quinces

2 tbsp ghee

6 tbsp honey

250 ml quince juice

INGREDIENTS CHICKEN LIVER

1 pound chicken liver (organic)

1 tbsp ghee

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

TOPPING

1 pomegranate seeded

PREPARATION POMEGRANATE JUS

Prepare the pomegranate jus a day in advance, then this meal is on the table the next day in about 30 minutes.

For the pomegranate jus, wash the vegetables and dry them well. Chop them roughly and set them aside.

Fry chicken wings in a saucepan over high heat, tossing until golden. Sauté with shallots, garlic, and the prepared vegetables until roasted flavors develop. Then add pomegranate molasses and continue to sauté until fragrant. Pour in red wine in small batches and let it evaporate completely, pour in pomegranate juice. Place all the spices in a spice bag and add to the sauce.

Allow the sauce to reduce over medium heat for approx. 3 – 4 hours. When the jus reduces, strain it through a fine sieve. Reduce the jus again and season with salt and pepper. Place in the refrigerator overnight. As fat floats on top, it will become solid as it is chilled and can be removed from the top. You can freeze reduced jus well by pouring it into ice cube trays.

TIP: Don’t throw away the cooked vegetables and boned chicken wings, just put them in a sandwich or on a slice of bread and top them with pickled red onions. A delicious snack.

PREPARATION SWEET POTATO PUREE

Peel and dice sweet potatoes, and sauté in a saucepan with butter. Add 250 ml water and cook until soft, stirring from time to time – this will take about 20 minutes. Warm the cream gently and pour in a little at a time. Mash sweet potatoes finely with a Masher, and strain through a sieve. Season the creamy puree with nutmeg, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt.

PREPARATION CRISPY FRIED SAGE LEAVES

Wash sage leaves, place on a cloth and pat dry. In a pan, melt the butter. Place the dry sage leaves next to each other in the pan and fry over a gentle heat until crispy on both sides. Remove from the pan, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with coarse salt.

PREPARATION CARAMELIZED QUINCE RINGS

In the meantime, rub the quinces, rinse them under hot water and cut them into 1 cm thick slices with a sharp knife. Cut out the cores with an apple cutter. Soak in lemon water till all quinces are sliced and cored. For this add water with the juice of half a lemon in a bowl. Fry the quince rings in the same pan you used to fry the sage leaves, over high heat until golden brown. Add honey and quince juice, salt, coarsely pepper and allow to boil. Remove the quinces and set aside on a plate. The quince sauce will be firm as jelly, add this later into the hole of the quince rings on the plate. It provides a sweet taste.

PREPARATION CHICKEN LIVER

First, place the chicken livers in mineral water for 15 minutes, drain in a colander and pat dry. Trim the chicken liver and cut off the vessels, tendons and nerves. To prevent it from becoming chewy, cook liver only for a short time and salt it afterwards. Heat a large pan over high heat. Add ghee when the pan is hot enough. Add the chicken livers and fry for 2 1/2 minutes on each side. They should be crispy on the outside and slightly rosy on the inside. Remove from pan and set aside. Season with salt and pepper.

ARRANGEMENT

Spoon the jus into the center of a plate. Place caramelized quince rings on top and arrange two pieces of chicken liver draped upright on top, drizzle with pomegranate jus. Garnish with a crispy sage leaf on each. Spread mashed sweet potatoes on the sides of the plate with a swirl and garnish with a few pomegranate seeds and some pomegranate jus. Pair with Zinfandel red wine from Dark Horse.

BEFARMAYID!

Susan

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