Serves 4
As a child, you couldn’t pay me enough to eat chicken livers (my mother became pretty good at sneaking them into stir-fries, masking the taste with plenty of soy sauce). Then, all of a sudden, I was the guy who’d dive into the mountain of chopped liver on the bar mitzvah buffet table. It’s an acquired taste.
Liver and onions is a classic combination for good reason. Slowly cooked and deeply browned onions develop a complex sweetness that keeps the funkiness of the livers in check. Here, I puree the onions and fold them into my basic tehina sauce to create a condiment that is sweet, savory, and rich enough to stand up to the meaty livers.
I cure the livers with salt and the spice mix baharat overnight. Baharat’s warm flavors accentuate the livers’ natural sweetness. Once they’re cured, I sear the livers quickly in a big skillet over high heat so they develop a great crust on the outside but remain creamy inside. I like to serve the livers with the rice and lentil dish called Mujadara (see recipe).
● Dry the chicken livers on paper towels to remove as much surface moisture as possible. Season the chicken livers with the salt and baharat. Arrange on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and allow the livers to cure overnight in the refrigerator.
● Stir together the tehina sauce, caramelized onions, date molasses, and lemon juice and set aside.
● Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the livers in a single layer and cook until dark brown on the outside but still pink in the middle, about 2 minutes per side. (Larger livers will take a little longer.)
● Spread a layer of the tehina sauce on a platter and arrange the livers on the sauce. Top with the sumac onions and celery leaves and serve.