My Grandma Chicken Liver Cake
A few days ago, my Grandma Chicken Liver cake was published in the Holistic Health magazine, a collection of some internationally-inspired recipes from Natural Health Practitioners.
I normally publish and share recipes that are simple and quick to prepare.
My motto: less time, more flavour, more nutrients.
This recipe is more sophisticated and uses ingredients that you don’t find on the table anymore. I have deliberately chosen to publish this recipe specifically for four main reasons:
- #FoodFirst. No need to look for some vitamin B12 supplement, chicken liver is one of the richest food for a good mood and vibrant energy! Garlic is a potent natural antiviral. Parsley is a great source of calcium and vitamin K but also the best anti-bad breath caused by garlic. Tomato sauce is lycopene-rich, a much needed antioxidant. And did I mention that this recipe is protein-boosting?
- #BuyWhole. It is obvious for fruits and vegetables, more commonly talked about grains, but it is also true for fish and poultry! Avoid buying only fish fillets and chicken breast. This is non-sense as we discard most of the nutritious part. Bringing offal to the table is also showing respect to the environment. #WasteAwareness
- #ChildhoodMemory. This recipe is a tribute to my grandmother, for sure. She cooked every single dish from scratch, every single day, with love and care. Vegetables were picked fresh from the garden, chooks were providing eggs and meat, grapes were transmogrified[1] into wine, and waste was recycled back to the garden.
- #JoyinCooking. This recipe is not the day-to-day recipe. It requires planning and preparation. However, cooking is such a great way to share and care.
I hear you say: I have no time to prepare such a thing. I invite you to think twice. This recipe is a real boost for your mood and energy, a step to waste less and a good opportunity to share with the whole family. Let me know how you go.
Note: for those of you who have never cooked chicken liver before, leave your assumptions at the door. It does not have a strong flavour, it has a delicate, smooth texture and is delicious and easy to cook by itself and serve with a green salad.
Note2: if you are vegetarian, I’ve got plenty of other options and ideas for you.
RECIPE – GRANDMA CHICKEN LIVER CAKE
Serve : 4 – Preparing time : 30 min / Cooking time : 30 min
Ingredients
| · 250 g Chicken Liver · Thick Béchamel sauce (see below) · 3 Eggs · 2 Cloves of Garlic · A Bunch of Curly Parsley · 500 mL of Tomato Coulis · Butter For the Mould | · Salt · PepperFor the Béchamel · 50 g Butter · 60g Flour · Milk · Nutmeg (optional) |
Preparation – Thick Béchamel
- Melt 50 g of butter over low heat.
- Off the heat, add 60g of flour all at once. Mix until a homogenous past e is obtained. Add milk. Optional: add a little nutmeg.
- Cook over low heat for at least 10 minutes until the sauce takes on a fairly thick consistency.
Preparation – Chicken Liver Cake
- Pre-heat the over to 180°C. Peel and crush the garlic cloves. Wash and dry the parsley.
- Eggs: Separate the whites from the yolks
- Place the chiken livers, parsley, pressed garlic, egg yolks, salt and peppet in a blender and process until smooth.
- Mix the preparation with the Béchamel.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff and gently incorporate them into the mixture.
Butter the ramekins . Pour the preparation into the ramekins and bake for 25-30 minutes. - Serve with a homemade tomato coulis.
Gluten Free / Dairy free version
Replace butter with a vegetable fat (coconut oil, olive oil) and wheat flour with a mix of buckwheat (50 g) and arrowroot (1 heaped tablespoon). You can also add 1 tbsp of cashew or almond past to thicken the consistency. The texture of the cake will be less firm so you will need to keep them in the ramekin when you serve.
