Batter-Fried Chicken Livers

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make batter-fried chicken livers? Gather all your ingredients. Use fresh (chilled) liver — it has far more nutrients than frozen. Go with a larger egg, ideally farm-fresh. Any flour works; I used regular wheat flour, but you can also try less common flours — rice, buckwheat, or oat — for a new flavor and aroma each time.

2. Step 2:

   

   For the coating, mix the flour with salt. For a little extra kick, you can add other dried herbs and seasonings besides salt. If you like it spicy, ground pepper, garlic powder, or khmeli-suneli (a Georgian spice blend) all work well. If you prefer traditional flavors, dried dill, parsley, or herbes de Provence are great. Mix the flour with the salt and any add-ins.

3. Step 3:

   

   You'll also need an egg for the coating. Wash it well, crack it into a fairly deep bowl, and beat it smooth with a fork. Check the egg for freshness first: lower it into a bowl of room-temperature water — if it sinks, it's fresh; if it floats, it's best not to use it, since it's past its prime.

4. Step 4:

   

   Rinse the livers well. If needed, cut away the bile ducts — they're usually green. Be sure to remove and discard these; they hold bile, and cooking the liver with them makes the dish very bitter. I left my liver pieces fairly large and barely cut them at all.

5. Step 5:

   

   Dip each piece of liver into the egg.

6. Step 6:

   

   Then dredge it right away in the flour. You can repeat the egg-and-flour steps once more for a thicker, sturdier coating.

7. Step 7:

   

   Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet. Any vegetable oil works — corn, sunflower, or olive. But for pan-frying, always use refined oil so it doesn't burn. Add the breaded liver pieces and fry for about 7 minutes per side.

8. Step 8:

   

   The liver comes out juicy inside with a crispy crust outside. Enjoy!