Physical Description
Soft tissue like structure and pink in color, when uncooked, but rich in cholesterol.
Colors: Dark pink to red when raw, and caramel brown when cooked.
Tasting Notes
Flavors: rich, bold
Mouthfeel: Tender, Delicate, Meaty, Chewey
Food complements: Onions, Tomatoes, Okra
Wine complements: Red, White
Beverage complements: Beer, Hard cider, Milk
Substitutes: Beef liver, Duck liver
Selecting and Buying
Seasonality: january, february, march, april, may, june, july, august, september, opctober, november, december
Peak: january
Choosing: Whole mature chickens are marketed in the United States as fryers, broilers and roasters. Fryers are the smallest size, and the most common, as chicken reach this size quickly. Most dismembered packaged chicken would be sold whole as fryers. Broilers are larger than fryers. They are typically sold whole. Roasters, or roasting hens, are the largest chickens sold and are typically more expensive. These names reflect the most appropriate cooking method for the surface area to volume ratio. As the size increases, the volume (which determines how much heat must enter the bird for it to be cooked) increases faster than the surface area (which determines how fast heat can enter the bird). For a fast method of cooking, such as frying, a small bird is appropriate: frying a large piece of chicken results in the inside being undercooked when the outside is ready. Chicken livers can be harvested from any of these varieties and are often sold either in giblet packs stored in the neck or stomach cavity of the bird, or in separate packaging holding many livers from various birds.
Buying: Chicken is also sold in dismembered pieces. Pieces may include quarters, or fourths of the chicken. A chicken is typically cut into two leg quarters and two breast quarters. Each quarter contains two of the commonly available pieces of chicken. A leg quarter contains the thigh, drumstick and a portion of the back; a leg has the back portion removed. A breast quarter contains the breast, wing and portion of the back; a breast has the back portion and wing removed. Pieces may be sold in packages of all of the same pieces, or in combination packages. Whole chicken cut up refers to either the entire bird cut into 8 quarters (8-piece cut); or sometimes without the back. A 9-piece cut (usually for fast food restaurants) has the tip of the breast cut off before splitting. Pick of the Chicken, or similar titles, refers to a package with only some of the chicken pieces. Typically the breasts, thighs, and legs without wings or back. Thighs and breasts are sold boneless and/or skinless. Dark meat (legs, drumsticks and thighs) pieces are typically cheaper than white meat pieces. Chicken livers and/or gizzards are commonly available packaged separately.
Other parts of the chicken, such as the neck, feet, combs, etc. are not widely available except in countries where they are in demand, or in cities that cater to ethnic groups who favor these parts.
In all meat shops and super markets
Procuring: Modern varieties of chicken such as the Christan Cross, are bred specifically for meat production, with an emphasis placed on the ratio of feed to meat produced by the animal. The most common breeds of chicken consumed in the US are Cornish and White Rock.[6]
Chickens raised specifically for meat are called broilers. In the United States, broilers are typically butchered at a young age. Modern Cornish Cross hybrids, for example, are butchered as early as 8 weeks for fryers and 12 weeks for roasting birds.
Capons (castrated cocks) produce more and fattier meat. For this reason, they are considered a delicacy and were particularly popular in the Middle Ages.
Preparation and Use
Chicken liver can be used in many preparations, either with the liver as the central part of the dish or as a complimentary flavor to other dish aspects. Some people find the texture of the liver unpleasant so may prefer liver used in sauces or soups where they are well blended and provided flavor but not texture. Liver fries well or can also be used to create excellent pate to be served with crackers or toasted breads.
CHICKEN LIVER MASALA
Ingredients:
1 lb chicken
liver
4 tbsp oil
1 onion chopped
5 cm cinnamon, broken into pieces
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
Salt to taste
90 ml. Warm water
4 flakes garlic, crushed
1 small tin of tomatoes
100g. frozen green peas
3 green chilies
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Make the following ingredients to a paste with 2 tsp of water:
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
Procedure:
1. Clean the liver, remove all the skin and cut roughly into 1.5 cm pieces.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat and fry the onions and cinnamon until the onions are soft.
3. Add the potatoes, salt and stir-fry the potatoes for about 2 minutes, add some water cover the pan and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
4. Heat the remaining oil over medium heat in a heavy bottomed wide pan. A non-stick or cast iron pan is ideal as the liver needs to be stir fried over high heat.
5. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 sec. Add the spice paste, lower the heat and stir fry for about 2 minutes.
6. Add half of the tomatoes, along with some of the juice, stir and cook for further 2-3 minutes, breaking the tomatoes with the spoon
When the mixture is fairly dry, add the liver and adjust heat to medium high. Stir-fry the liver for 3-4 minutes.
7. Add the remaining tomatoes and the juice, stir-fry for 5-6 minutes.
8. Cover the pan and simmer for about 8 minutes, add the potatoes, green peas, green chilies and the remaining salt and cook for a minute or two.
9. Adjust heat to medium and cook, uncovered for further 5 minutes. Stir in the garam masala powder and remove from heat.
10. Serve with plain fried rice or
Cleaning: Rinse and trim as needed. Sort and remove any liver that has begun to grey or smells rancid.
Social/Political
History: The modern chicken is a descendant of Red Junglefowl hybrids with the Grey Junglefowl first raised thousands of years ago in the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent.[2]
Chicken as a meat has been depicted in Babylonian carvings from around 600 BC.[3] Chicken was one of the most common meats available in the Middle Ages. It was widely believed to be easily digested and considered to be one of the most neutral foodstuff. It was eaten over most of the Eastern hemisphere and a number of different kinds of chicken such as capons, pullets and hens were eaten. It was one of the basic ingredients in the so-called white dish, a stew usually consisting of chicken and fried onions cooked in milk and seasoned with spices and sugar.
Chicken consumption in the US increased during World War II due to a shortage of beef and pork.[4] In Europe, consumption of chicken overtook that of beef and veal in 1996, linked to consumer awareness of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy or B.S.E.[5]
