Natural chicken liver

Natural chicken livers, in units of roughly 450 g, at $21.97/kg — about $9.89 a pack. They are the mildest offal there is, the one to start with, and the base of the best pâté you will make at home.

The mildest of the livers

Where beef liver is strong, chicken liver is fine, almost creamy, and far less pronounced. It is the one to serve people who say they dislike liver, and the most forgiving to cook. A 450 g unit makes a terrine for eight, or two dinners of pan-fried livers for two.

Natural Québec chicken

Our chickens are raised without antibiotics, and the meat comes from an hour outside Montréal. Liver concentrates what the bird was given, which makes provenance matter more for offal than for any other cut.

Nutrition

Very high in iron, vitamin B12, vitamin A and protein, with little fat and at a trivial price — among the most nutrient-dense foods at the counter. Like all liver it is eaten occasionally rather than weekly, because the vitamin A is concentrated. If you are pregnant or following guidance on vitamin A, speak to your health professional.

How to cook chicken livers

Trim them: remove any green patches and the white connective threads — that is the only prep that matters. Pat them properly dry or they steam instead of searing. Very hot pan, a little butter, 2 to 3 minutes a side, to 74 °C (165 °F) throughout — the safe temperature for all poultry, higher than for beef liver. They should be firm outside and still yielding in the middle. Salt at the end.

Serving and pairing

Pan-fried: softened onion or shallot, a splash of port, cognac or balsamic to deglaze, and toast to mop it up. Warm, on bitter leaves, they make an excellent salad. As pâté, serve them cold with cornichons and sourdough.

Chicken liver pâté with port

Trim 450 g of livers and pat dry. Soften 1 shallot in butter, add the livers and sear 2 to 3 minutes a side to 74 °C. Deglaze with 60 ml port and reduce by half. Blend everything with 100 g soft butter, salt, pepper and a pinch of thyme until smooth. Pour into a jar, seal the top with a little melted butter, and set overnight in the fridge. Keeps a week.

Chicken liver price and ordering

• Regular price: $21.97/kg — about $9.89 per unit (estimate on 450 g)
• Weight: units of roughly 450 g
• Sold by weight: the final price at checkout reflects the actual weight
• Product number: 1144355
• Sold frozen
• Chicken raised without antibiotics in Huntingdon, Québec
• Rated ★★★★★ by our customers
• Where to buy: delivery across Québec and Montréal by refrigerated truck, free from $225. Farm pickup at 62 York Street, Huntingdon.