Chef Nancy Oakes used fresh duck livers from Sonoma County Poultry when she made these elegant crostini during the 1997 Workshop, but chicken livers work, too. She hand-chopped the warm sautéed livers with butter and a lot of sweet sautéed onion, plus just enough earthy truffle oil to make them worthy of a black-tie occasion.

　　

Ingredients

makes 16 crostini

　　1/2 pound fresh chicken or duck livers

　　Kosher salt

　　2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1/2 large yellow onion, finely diced

　　1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at

　　room temperature

　　About 1/2 teaspoon white truffle oil

　　

Fried Sage Garnish (Optional)

Vegetable oil for frying

　　16 large fresh sage leaves

　　16 baguette toasts (page 41)

　　

Step 1

Separate the lobes of the livers and discard any fat or veins. In a colander set over a bowl, toss the livers with 2 tablespoons salt. Let stand for 20 minutes to drain blood. Rinse the livers thoroughly in cold water, then pat dry.

　　

Step 2

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small nonstick skillet over moderately low heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft and translucent, about 20 minutes; do not let the onion brown. Transfer the onion to a bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same skillet and raise the heat to medium. When the oil is hot, add the livers, sage, and several grinds of black pepper. Sauté just until the livers feel firm but not hard, about 4 minutes. They should still be pink inside. Add the livers to the onions and let cool until just warm. Chop the liver and onions together until fine, adding the butter as you chop. Season the mixture to taste with salt, pepper, and truffle oil.

　　

Step 3

For the garnish: Heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle when you insert the end of a wooden chopstick, add the sage leaves, a few at a time. Be careful: they will pop and splatter. Cook until the leaves become crisp, about 30 seconds. Do not let them color. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain briefly.

　　

Step 4

Spread the chopped liver on baguette toasts and top with a fried sage leaf. Serve immediately.

　　

Step 5

Enjoy with Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Reserve or another full-bodied, barrel-fermented white wine.

　　The Cakebread Cellars American Harvest Cookbook