Pan Fried Pole Beans With Chicken Liver Crostini Food

CHICKEN LIVER CROSTINI

Steps:

• Pat dry 1 pound chicken livers and season with salt and pepper. Cook in a skillet with 3 tablespoons chicken fat or olive oil, turning, 7 minutes; transfer to a food processor. Add 2 more tablespoons fat, 1 chopped onion and some fresh thyme to the pan and cook 8 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup sherry and boil 1 minute; add to the processor along with 1 cup crushed saltines, 1 hard-boiled egg and 2 tablespoons fresh parsley. Pulse; season with salt and cayenne. Chill, then spread on crostini. Top with hard-boiled egg and radish slices.

PAN-FRIED POLE BEANS WITH CHICKEN LIVER CROSTINI

Steps:

• For chicken liver pâté: In a medium sauté pan, heat oil, and add shallots, garlic and chicken livers. Sauté until livers are medium-rare; add port, and sauté until liquid is reduced by half. Season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
• Transfer to a food processor, and purée. With machine running, gradually add cubes of butter until they are incorporated. Add curing salt, if using. Adjust seasonings to taste, push through a fine-mesh screen or strainer and transfer to a ceramic terrine. Covered tightly, the pâté can be refrigerated for a week or a bit longer.
• For beans: Place a large sauté pan over medium heat, and heat oil. Add beans, and sauté just until lightly browned. Add onion and garlic, and continue to sauté until onions are just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
• For crostini: Brush slices of bread generously on both sides with oil. Toast on both sides in a hot skillet or on a grill until golden brown.
• To serve, place equal portions of beans on each of 6 or 8 plates. Season with salt and cracked pepper to taste. Place two slices of bread on each plate, and pass chicken liver pâté.

PAN-FRIED CHICKEN LIVERS

Steps:

• Pour oil in large, deep cast iron skillet or 4 quart saucepan to reach depth of 2". Heat oil over medium-high heat until deep fry thermometer registers 340 degrees.
• Soak livers in buttermilk for 5 minutes.
• Combine flour, salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning in a small baking dish.
• Drain livers; drredge each liver in flour mixture, shaking off excess flour; transfer to a plate.
• Fry livers in batches until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Transfer livers to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with hot sauce like Frank's or Crystal, blue cheese dressing and/or ranch dressing.

CHICKEN LIVERS ON TOAST

Steps:

• Pick over the livers, cutting away any fatty bits and sinew, then pat the livers dry. Place the shallot, parsley and capers into a bowl and drizzle with half the olive oil and 1 tbsp of the Sherry vinegar.
• Toast the bread (preferably on a griddle but a toaster is fine). Toss the livers in the flour and cayenne pepper, and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and fry the livers over a really high heat for 4-5 mins until brown and crisp on the outside and cooked, but still a little pink in the middle. Splash remaining vinegar into the pan and bubble down for 1 min.
• Tip the contents of the pan in with the shallot and parsley, toss everything together, season to taste, then pile onto the toasted bread. Season with a little crunchy sea salt and serve.

CHICKEN LIVER CROSTINI

Steps:

• Heat 4 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, anchovies and garlic. Sauté until onion is tender but not brown, mashing anchovies with fork, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken livers and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes. Add wine and cook until most of liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and sage. Simmer until chicken livers are cooked through and liquid is reduced by half, breaking up livers with fork, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly.
• Transfer mixture to processor. Using on/off turns, process just until livers are coarsely pureed. Mix in lemon peel. Season pâté to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange bread slices on 2 baking sheets. Lightly brush bread with remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Bake until crisp and golden, about 15 minutes. (Pâté and toasts can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill pâté. Cool toasts; store airtight at room temperature.) Spread p•t over toasts. Arrange toasts on platter.

ALICE WATERS'S SEASONAL MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Soak the beans overnight in a large pot, covered by several inches of water.
• The next day, simmer the beans 2 hours or until tender. Drain and set aside, reserving the cooking water.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for about 10 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes longer.
• Add 3 cups water and bring to a low boil. When boiling, add the leek and green beans. After 5 minutes, add the zucchini and tomatoes. After 15 minutes, add the spinach and beans and cook for 5 more minutes. If the soup is too thick, add water (reserved bean water is good).
• Remove the bay leaf and bare thyme sticks and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve in bowls, each garnished with grated Parmesan cheese or pesto.