Chicken Hearts in Cream Sauce

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   Gather all your ingredients. It's best to buy chicken hearts fresh or chilled rather than frozen — freezing takes a real toll on their taste and texture.

2. Step 2:

   

   Rinse the chicken hearts under running water and pat them dry in a colander — you don't want excess water in the dish. You can start cooking with them as-is, since every part of the heart is edible.

3. Step 3:

   

   That said, I do recommend trimming them — it makes the dish more tender and refined. Pull off the stringy fibers, trim away the fat (which makes it leaner, too), and remove any blood clots and larger vessels. Don't bother with the thin membranes; they'll cook down and become perfectly edible. Give the hearts one more rinse to wash away any stray bits.

4. Step 4:

   

   Peel the onion, rinse it, and slice it into half-moons. I like being able to taste the onion in the dish, but you can dice it if you prefer. Add the onion to a skillet and cook gently until soft. Don't let it brown too much, or it'll darken the color of the cream sauce later.

5. Step 5:

   

   Add the trimmed chicken hearts to the softened onion and fry for about 10 minutes, stirring. By the end they should have turned an even grayish color.

6. Step 6:

   

   Pour in hot water so you don't drop the temperature in the pan. The amount listed works for my skillet, but you don't want too much or too little — adjust to your own pan so the water just barely covers the hearts. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.

7. Step 7:

   

   About 5 minutes before the end, season the hearts with salt and pepper, pour in the light cream, and bring to a boil. Cook uncovered for a final 5 minutes so the cream reduces and thickens a little.