Recipe: Duck Liver and Potato Salad with Chile Vinaigrette
Page: 29
Date Cooked: December 23, 2012
The last time I worked with livers for a JW recipe, I turned out a pretty awesome Apple and Chicken Liver Mousse. This time around, this salad recipe puts the liver component front and center. And with chestnuts in every grocery store right now, it seemed like a perfect winter salad. My grocer doesn't carry duck livers so I substituted chicken livers (which is OK-ed by Jonathan Waxman in the recipe).
I began by soaking the livers in milk for a couple of hours. I then drained the livers, patted dry, and sprinkled them with sea salt and pepper. I put the livers on a plate, covered, and refrigerated.
I peeled the fingerling potatoes and cut them into coins, placing the potatoes in ice water.
Then it was on to the chestnuts. I made a cross in the flat side of each chestnut and placed them on a baking sheet to roast. Once the edges of the shells began to curl, I removed the chestnuts from the oven, and peeled them. I put the chestnuts in a bowl with sesame oil, placed them back on the baking sheet to roast. Once the chestnuts were a golden brown, I let them cool, and then coarsely chopped.
For the chile vinaigrette, I seeded the poblano and finely diced it. I combined the diced chile with sherry vinegar and whisked in olive oil. I then seasoned the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
I drained the potatoes and patted them dry. I melted butter in a skillet and added the potatoes. I cooked the potatoes till golden brown and crisp on each side.
While the potatoes cooked, I diced the onion and pimentos. Once the potatoes were done, I transferred the potatoes to a large bowl. I then added the onions to the skillet and cooked until they became soft.
I heated olive oil in a cast-iron and added the livers. I cooked the livers about 1 minute per side.
I added the washed and dried greens, softened onions, pimentos, roasted chestnuts, and chile vinaigrette to the potatoes and tossed well.
Finally, I placed the salad mixture on a plate and topped it with the chicken livers.
This ended up being a pretty tasty salad. I liked the combination of the spicy chile vinaigrette with the smooth texture of the chicken livers. And I really enjoyed the random components of crunch in this salad - the chestnuts and the potatoes. When I first looked at this recipe, I couldn't understand why it was in the "Starters" section rather than the "Salads" section. But as you continue to eat the salad, the liver flavor becomes a bit overwhelming - so a small plate of this salad is about all you want in one sitting. I was a little surprised that the only addition to the livers was salt and pepper. I think in the future, I would use a touch of liquor to cut some of that liver-y flavor. Overall, a hearty salad and a fun way to use livers.
Page: 29
Date Cooked: December 23, 2012
The last time I worked with livers for a JW recipe, I turned out a pretty awesome Apple and Chicken Liver Mousse. This time around, this salad recipe puts the liver component front and center. And with chestnuts in every grocery store right now, it seemed like a perfect winter salad. My grocer doesn't carry duck livers so I substituted chicken livers (which is OK-ed by Jonathan Waxman in the recipe).
 |
| Ingredients: Chicken livers, milk, sea salt, black pepper, fingerling potatoes, chestnuts, sesame oil, mache, frisee, poblano chile, sherry vinegar, olive oil, unsalted butter, onion, and pimentos |
I began by soaking the livers in milk for a couple of hours. I then drained the livers, patted dry, and sprinkled them with sea salt and pepper. I put the livers on a plate, covered, and refrigerated.
 |
| Prepping the livers |
I peeled the fingerling potatoes and cut them into coins, placing the potatoes in ice water.
 |
| Peeled and coined fingerling potatoes |
Then it was on to the chestnuts. I made a cross in the flat side of each chestnut and placed them on a baking sheet to roast. Once the edges of the shells began to curl, I removed the chestnuts from the oven, and peeled them. I put the chestnuts in a bowl with sesame oil, placed them back on the baking sheet to roast. Once the chestnuts were a golden brown, I let them cool, and then coarsely chopped.
 |
| Toasted and chopped chestnuts |
For the chile vinaigrette, I seeded the poblano and finely diced it. I combined the diced chile with sherry vinegar and whisked in olive oil. I then seasoned the vinaigrette with salt and pepper.
 |
| Chile vinaigrette |
I drained the potatoes and patted them dry. I melted butter in a skillet and added the potatoes. I cooked the potatoes till golden brown and crisp on each side.
 |
| Golden brown and crisp potatoes |
While the potatoes cooked, I diced the onion and pimentos. Once the potatoes were done, I transferred the potatoes to a large bowl. I then added the onions to the skillet and cooked until they became soft.
 |
| Left: Diced onion Right: Cooking onions till soft |
I heated olive oil in a cast-iron and added the livers. I cooked the livers about 1 minute per side.
 |
| Cooking the chicken livers |
I added the washed and dried greens, softened onions, pimentos, roasted chestnuts, and chile vinaigrette to the potatoes and tossed well.
 |
| Potato salad with chile vinaigrette |
Finally, I placed the salad mixture on a plate and topped it with the chicken livers.
 |
| Chicken Liver and Potato Salad Vinaigrette |
This ended up being a pretty tasty salad. I liked the combination of the spicy chile vinaigrette with the smooth texture of the chicken livers. And I really enjoyed the random components of crunch in this salad - the chestnuts and the potatoes. When I first looked at this recipe, I couldn't understand why it was in the "Starters" section rather than the "Salads" section. But as you continue to eat the salad, the liver flavor becomes a bit overwhelming - so a small plate of this salad is about all you want in one sitting. I was a little surprised that the only addition to the livers was salt and pepper. I think in the future, I would use a touch of liquor to cut some of that liver-y flavor. Overall, a hearty salad and a fun way to use livers.
Enjoy!
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