Chicken livers with shallots and arugula

SERVES 4

Ingredients:

½ cup hazelnuts

1 tbsp olive oil

9 small shallots, peeled but left whole

1–2 tbsp demerara (raw) sugar

1 tbsp butter

250g (9oz) chicken livers, tossed in a little seasoned flour

2 handfuls of arugula leaves

generous drizzle of good-quality balsamic vinegar

sea salt

Method:

1 Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet. Place under a hot broiler and shake the pan frequently to turn them, until they are golden brown. Enclose the hazelnuts in a clean dish towel. Rub to loosen and remove the skins. Chop coarsely, and set aside.

2 Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, and cook for 5 minutes until they start to color slightly, then sprinkle with some salt and the sugar. Move the shallots around in the pan, and cook for another 15 minutes or until they soften and begin to caramelize.

3 In a separate frying pan, heat the butter over medium-high heat. When melted and foaming, add the chicken livers. Cook for 3–5 minutes, turning once, until browned on the outside and just cooked through.

4 Cut the cooked shallots in half, and arrange with the livers on a bed of arugula leaves. Top with the toasted hazelnuts, and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Serve at once with thick slices of whole wheat toast.

Chicken livers with shallots and arugula