A jar of rendered golden chicken fat, or schmaltz, is a faithful friend in the kitchen—tossed with noodles and toasted bread crumbs, added to dumplings in chicken broth, or smeared on flatbread with herbs before baking. These livers are a good companion to a hearty vegetable dish like the Warm Mushroom Salad (page 198).

　　

Ingredients

serves 4 as part of a larger meal

　　1 pound chicken livers, trimmed and patted dry just before cooking

　　1 teaspoon kosher salt

　　3 tablespoons chicken fat (olive oil may be substituted, but keep the heat lower—below the smoking point)

　　Handful of fresh thyme leaves

　　Flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　

Step 1

Heat a 9-inch or larger cast-iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Have nearby a lid large enough to cover the pan, to extinguish a possible flare-up and protect you from momentary splattering.

　　

Step 2

Season the livers with the kosher salt. Add the chicken fat to the pan, and then add the livers all at once, quickly spreading them out in one layer with tongs. Scatter the thyme around the livers (don’t move them yet), pushing it down so that it cooks in the fat. If the livers are not cooking evenly, rotate the pan itself instead of moving the livers. Continue to cook over high heat for 2 minutes, until the edges of the livers are crispy and deep golden brown. Flip the livers over with tongs and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute for medium-rare. Transfer them to a warm platter along with the thyme, and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

　　Cooking in the Moment