Livers, Skin and Giblets
Cooking Skills: Chicken 2
Chapter 7 · Livers, Skin and Giblets
Skill goal
Use the livers, skin, fat and giblets of a chicken so that none of the bird is wasted.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
A chicken gives more than meat. Livers are rich and soft and cook in minutes; skin and fat crisp into crackling or render into schmaltz, a flavoursome cooking fat; and the neck, heart and gizzard (the giblets) make a deep stock for gravy. Cooking Skills: Soups and Stocks 1, chapter 1 teaches stock in detail; here the giblets are a quick stock for one gravy. Offcuts are cheap, but they need care: liver must be fresh, cooked through, and kept away from anyone it isn't suitable for.
Liver tastes strong when overcooked and sweet when cooked briefly and gently. It should be firm with no pink inside, which is safest, but never grey and dry. Soaking in milk for an hour softens the flavour. See Cooking Skills: Chicken 1, chapter 7 for using up the cooked meat. There is no brandy or sherry in the pâté here; a little lemon juice and thyme give lift instead.
The method
- Trim the livers of sinew and green-tinged parts (bile tastes bitter), then pat dry.
- Soak in milk for up to an hour if you want a milder flavour.
- Cook hot and brief: a few minutes a side in butter until firm with no pink inside.
- Render skin slowly in a cold pan so the fat melts and the skin crisps.
- Simmer giblets in water for at least 30 minutes to make stock for gravy.
| Offcut | Becomes | Method | Time (approximate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Livers | On toast or pâté | Pan-fry briefly or blend | 15 to 30 minutes |
| Skin | Crackling | Dry, season, roast hot | 35 minutes |
| Fat | Schmaltz | Render slowly, strain | 30 minutes |
| Giblets | Stock and gravy | Simmer, strain, thicken | 45 minutes |
Raw chicken, liver and pâté
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Chicken liver: cook it through, and who should avoid it: chicken liver must be cooked until there is no pink inside, because raw or pink liver can carry campylobacter and salmonella. It is very high in vitamin A, so it is not recommended for pregnant women, and pâté carries a listeria risk. Buy it fresh, keep it cold, and use it within a day.
Liver and fat spit: liver and chicken fat spit hard in a hot pan. Pat the livers dry, use a splash guard or a lid held at an angle, stand back, and add them to the pan away from you.
Pâté, listeria and keeping: pâté is a chilled, moist food that can grow listeria, which is a particular risk in pregnancy and for older or unwell people. Chill it quickly, keep it below 5°C, eat it within 2 days, and don't serve it to anyone in those groups.
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Chicken livers on toast
A classic quick supper. Pat the livers dry, fry them hot in butter with onion and thyme until firm with no pink, and spoon them over buttery toast. Finish with lemon and parsley. Don't walk away: liver goes from soft to dry in a minute.
Ingredients (2 portions)
- 250 g chicken livers, trimmed
- 30 g butter
- 1 small onion, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 thick slices of bread, toasted
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- Soften the onion in half the butter over a medium heat for 6 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme for 1 minute and push to one side.
- Add the remaining butter, raise the heat, and cook the dried livers for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until firm with no pink when cut.
- Stir in the lemon juice, spoon over hot buttered toast and scatter with parsley.
Raw chicken, liver and hot fat
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Chicken liver: cook it through, and who should avoid it: chicken liver must be cooked until there is no pink inside, because raw or pink liver can carry campylobacter and salmonella. It is very high in vitamin A, so it is not recommended for pregnant women, and pâté carries a listeria risk. Buy it fresh, keep it cold, and use it within a day.
Liver and fat spit: liver and chicken fat spit hard in a hot pan. Pat the livers dry, use a splash guard or a lid held at an angle, stand back, and add them to the pan away from you.
Is it cooked? Use a thermometer: chicken is safe when the thickest part reaches 75°C (or 70°C held for 2 minutes), the meat is white all the way through with no pink, and the juices run clear (general guidance, in line with current FSA advice). Push a probe thermometer into the thickest part without touching bone, and for a whole bird check the thickest part of the thigh. If in doubt, cook it longer.
Level 2 · Smooth
A smooth chicken liver pâté (alcohol-free)
Cook the livers fully, blend with butter and cream, and chill in a ramekin under a thin layer of melted butter. No brandy, just thyme and lemon. Chill for at least 4 hours and eat within 2 days. Not suitable in pregnancy.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 300 g chicken livers, trimmed
- 100 g butter, softened
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp double cream
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 30 g clarified butter or melted butter, to seal
- Soften the onion and garlic in a third of the butter for 6 minutes. Add the livers and thyme and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until firm with no pink inside.
- Blend while warm with the rest of the soft butter, cream, lemon and seasoning until very smooth. Press through a sieve if you like.
- Pack into ramekins, seal with a thin layer of melted butter, and chill for at least 4 hours. Eat within 2 days.
Liver, pâté and hot blending
Chicken liver: cook it through, and who should avoid it: chicken liver must be cooked until there is no pink inside, because raw or pink liver can carry campylobacter and salmonella. It is very high in vitamin A, so it is not recommended for pregnant women, and pâté carries a listeria risk. Buy it fresh, keep it cold, and use it within a day.Pâté, listeria and keeping: pâté is a chilled, moist food that can grow listeria, which is a particular risk in pregnancy and for older or unwell people. Chill it quickly, keep it below 5°C, eat it within 2 days, and don't serve it to anyone in those groups.
Blending hot soup: hot liquid expands in a sealed blender and can blow the lid off and scald you badly. The safest choice is a stick blender in a deep pan, held low with the head fully under the surface. With a jug blender, cool the soup for a few minutes, fill it no more than half, take out the small centre cap of the lid, cover it with a folded cloth, hold it down and start on the lowest speed.
No alcohol: this book uses no beer, wine or brandy. Stock, vinegar, mustard and tomato give the same depth, so the dish is fine for children and anyone avoiding alcohol.
Level 2 · Crisp
Crackling and schmaltz
Cut the skin from raw thighs (or save it from a jointed chicken), lay it in a cold pan, and heat slowly. The fat melts out as schmaltz and the skin turns into thin crackling. Strain the fat into a jar; the crackling is a snack or a topping for soup and salad.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 300 g raw chicken skin and fat
- 1 pinch flaked sea salt
- 1 tsp smoked paprika, optional
- Pat the skin dry and lay it flat in a cold, wide pan in a single layer. Heat over a low-medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes, pouring off fat now and then, until the skin is golden and crisp.
- Lift the crackling onto kitchen paper and season while hot. Let the fat cool slightly, then strain it into a clean jar.
- Cool, cover and chill. Use the schmaltz for frying onions, roasting potatoes or as a base for matzo balls.
Raw chicken skin and hot fat
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Liver and fat spit: liver and chicken fat spit hard in a hot pan. Pat the livers dry, use a splash guard or a lid held at an angle, stand back, and add them to the pan away from you.
Straining and keeping fat: strain hot fat through a sieve into a heatproof jar only once it has cooled a little, and never pour it into a plastic container while hot. Keep schmaltz chilled for up to a week or freeze it, and use a clean spoon each time.
Shallow-frying and hot oil: hot oil causes serious burns and can catch fire. Use a heavy, deep pan filled no more than a third with oil, heat it to 160 to 175°C and check with a thermometer, dry the chicken well, lower it in away from you, and never leave the pan. If oil catches fire, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a lid; never use water. Keep children out of the kitchen.
Level 3 · Roast
A roast with giblet gravy
Put the neck, heart and gizzard on to simmer while the chicken roasts, then use that stock to make gravy in the roasting tin. Cooking Skills: Chicken 1, chapter 2 covers roasting; Cooking Skills: Sauces 1, chapter 4 covers gravy.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 1.6 kg whole chicken with giblets, if supplied
- 1 onion, halved
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 celery stick
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 litre water
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tbsp butter
- Roast the chicken as in Cooking Skills: Chicken 1, chapter 2. Meanwhile simmer the giblets (not the liver) with the vegetables, bay leaf and water for 45 minutes, then strain.
- When the thigh reads 75°C or more, rest the chicken for 20 minutes. Pour off excess fat from the tin, stir in the flour and butter over a low heat for 2 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in 500 ml of the giblet stock and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until thickened. Strain and serve with the carved chicken.
Raw giblets, hot oven and gravy
Raw chicken: the safety rules: raw chicken often carries campylobacter and salmonella. Never wash it (the splashes spread bacteria around the kitchen), keep it covered on the bottom shelf of the fridge, use its own board, knife and tongs, wash your hands, boards and tools in hot soapy water afterwards, and never put cooked food back on a plate or board that held raw chicken. Use it by the use-by date, or freeze it on the day you buy it.Giblets: use fresh and cook thoroughly: giblets (neck, heart, gizzard) should be used within a day of buying and cooked through. Boil them for at least 30 minutes for stock, discard the liver (it makes the stock bitter), and never serve undercooked giblets.
Hot oven and hot trays: ovens, trays and tins are hot enough to burn badly. Use dry oven gloves (a damp cloth conducts heat), pull the shelf out a little before lifting a tray, put hot things on a heatproof surface and keep children away.
Hot sauce: a thickening sauce bubbles and spits, and hot sauce sticks to skin and burns worse than water. Stir with a long spoon, keep your face back and turn the handle of the pan inwards.
Experiments
Experiment
Livers cooked 2 or 4 minutes
Texture.
- Pan-fry two batches, one for 2 minutes and one for 4 minutes.
Look for: Two minutes leaves a pink, unsafe centre and is not recommended; four minutes is firm and cooked through but still tender.
Experiment
Milk soak or none
Flavour.
- Soak half the livers in milk for an hour and cook both.
Look for: The milk-soaked livers are milder and sweeter; the unsoaked ones taste stronger and a little bitter.
Experiment
Schmaltz or oil for roasting
Richness.
- Roast two trays of potatoes, one in schmaltz and one in rapeseed oil.
Look for: Schmaltz gives a golden crust and savoury flavour; oil is lighter and cleaner.
Experiment
Gravy from giblets or stock
Depth.
- Make gravy with giblet stock in one pan and a stock cube in another.
Look for: The giblet gravy tastes deeper and more like chicken; the cube version is saltier and flatter.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken livers on toast | ||||
| Chicken liver pâté | ||||
| Crackling and schmaltz | ||||
| Roast with giblet gravy | ||||
| Livers cooked 2 or 4 minutes | ||||
| Milk soak or none | ||||
| Schmaltz or oil for roasting | ||||
| Gravy from giblets or stock |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Bitter liver | Green bile left on or overcooked | Trim carefully and cook for under 5 minutes |
| Grey, grainy pâté | Overcooked or not blended while warm | Cook just through and blend warm |
| Chewy crackling | Pan too hot or skin wet | Dry the skin and render slowly |
| Cloudy gravy | Boiled hard | Simmer gently and strain |
| Livers spit | Wet livers | Pat dry and use a lid or splash guard |
| Schmaltz tastes burnt | Heat too high | Render over a low heat |
Liver, pâté and hot fat
Chicken liver: cook it through, and who should avoid it: chicken liver must be cooked until there is no pink inside, because raw or pink liver can carry campylobacter and salmonella. It is very high in vitamin A, so it is not recommended for pregnant women, and pâté carries a listeria risk. Buy it fresh, keep it cold, and use it within a day.Pâté, listeria and keeping: pâté is a chilled, moist food that can grow listeria, which is a particular risk in pregnancy and for older or unwell people. Chill it quickly, keep it below 5°C, eat it within 2 days, and don't serve it to anyone in those groups.
Straining and keeping fat: strain hot fat through a sieve into a heatproof jar only once it has cooled a little, and never pour it into a plastic container while hot. Keep schmaltz chilled for up to a week or freeze it, and use a clean spoon each time.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can trim and cook livers through.
- I know who should avoid liver and pâté.
- I can render fat and crisp skin.
- I can make a stock from giblets.
- I store fat and pâté safely.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Chicken 2, chapter 8 is A Chicken Feast: planning a multi-dish meal for six.