Rumaki Chicken Liver

(adapted from recipe by Louise Volker, RDN)

I’ll admit I have had a hard time acclimating my taste buds to chicken livers. My friend and colleague Louise insisted I try this recipe and she was right, I found a way to eat chicken livers. Quality matters! I pick up chicken livers from the farmer’s market and I talk to the farmer. I make sure the chickens are pastured and fed organic feed. I don’t want to eat chicken livers from sick chickens and I want to make sure the animal protein I eat (and feed my family) comes from animals allowed to have a good and healthy life. Another reason this chicken liver tastes so good is the bacon. A healthcare professional I admire very much, Dr. Terry Wahls, has been able to reverse and slow the progression of MS through diet and lifestyle. She tells a cute story of one of her children saying, “if you don’t like vegetables add more bacon.” This wise advice from a child just might help you develop a taste for chicken livers!

If you want to know more about why I will only buy pastured chicken livers please see my blog article Which Came First?

Ready to broil

Ready to eat

Serves 12 for appetizer or 4 for dinner size serving

Prep: 15 min

Marinade: 60 min

Cook: 8-10 min

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup Tamari sauce, GF (or use coconut aminos if you are on an AIP diet)

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/4 pound chicken livers, trimmed, rinsed and cut into 24 (1/2-inch) pieces

12 canned whole water chestnuts, drained and halved

24 toothpicks, soaked in water for 1 hour

12 slices bacon, halved crosswise

METHOD

Stir together the Tamari sauce and garlic in a medium bowl, then add the livers and water chestnuts. Toss to coat. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the boiler. Remove the livers and water chestnuts from the marinade and discard the marinade. Lay 1 bacon half on a cutting board and place 1 piece of liver and 1 water chestnut in the center. Fold one side of the bacon over them, and thread a toothpick through the bacon, then the chestnut and liver. Wrap the remaining bacon edge around this package and secure on the toothpick. Repeat with remaining ingredients to make 24 rumaki.

Broil the rumaki on a rack set over a baking sheet (covered with aluminum foil for easy clean up) 2 inches from the heat for 4 minutes. Flip them over and broil for about 2-4 minutes more. Brush the rumaki with additional Tamari sauce and return to the broiler for about 2 more minutes until bacon is crisp and cooked well. You may need to flip them another time.  Place on a serving tray and serve immediately.

Tracey Long, MPH, RDN