Author Notes
Not long after my husband Mike and I moved to Providence, we took a trip up to Cambridge, MA to visit one of our favorite bartenders at Green Street in Central Square. One of the specials that night was an appetizer of fried chicken livers served Buffalo wing style, and while we were already fans of chicken livers in general, these were a revelation. The exteriors were crisp under their veil of sticky, spicy sauce, and the livers themselves were almost creamy – these fried chicken livers were enough to make anyone with textural issues into a believer. This recipe makes enough for a snack sized portion for two (or for one hungry soul), but I’d imagine you could easily scale it up for a crowd. The sauce has got a good kick of heat; you can substitute a milder hot sauce for the Sriracha I’ve used here if you prefer. I’ve also included my favorite blue cheese dressing recipe, but feel free to use your favorite homemade or store-bought version. —lastnightsdinner
Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
- Buffalo-Style Fried Chicken Livers
-
4 ounces
chicken livers
-
1 cup
buttermilk, divided
-
1/2 cup
all-purpose flour
-
1 teaspoon
Kosher or sea salt
-
1/2 teaspoon
hot Hungarian paprika
-
1/2 teaspoon
Old Bay seasoning
-
1/4 teaspoon
cayenne pepper
-
1/2 cup
grapeseed or other neutral-flavored oil
-
1/4 cup
unsalted butter
-
1/4 cup
Sriracha or other hot pepper sauce
-
for serving: celery and/or carrot sticks, blue cheese dressing or dip
- Blue Cheese Dressing
-
1
small clove of garlic
-
1 teaspoon
coarse sea salt
-
1 tablespoon
mayonnaise
-
1/4 cup
crème fraiche
-
1 tablespoon
buttermilk
-
a splash of sherry vinegar
-
1/4 cup
crumbled blue cheese
-
Kosher or sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Buffalo-Style Fried Chicken Livers
-
Separate the chicken livers into two lobes, and trim and discard any sinewy bits or veins. Cut each lobe in half and set aside.
-
Pour ½ cup of the buttermilk into a bowl. Add the chicken livers to the buttermilk and let soak for 5-10 minutes.
-
Place the flour in a shallow dish and add the salt, paprika, Old Bay, and cayenne, stirring with a fork until the spices are evenly distributed. Remove the livers from the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour. Discard the buttermilk, wipe out the bowl and add the remaining ½ cup of buttermilk. Dip the livers in the buttermilk and dredge them a second time in the seasoned flour.
-
Place the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet and warm over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully add the livers a few at a time to the hot oil, cooking for a few minutes per side until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove the cooked livers to a paper towel-lined platter, and continue cooking in batches until all of the livers are fried. Note: you’ll want to use a splatter shield over your pan, as the livers will pop and spatter. Also, if you’re making a larger batch of these, you can hold the fried livers on a rack in a low oven to keep them warm until serving.
-
While the livers are frying, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in the hot sauce until well incorporated. Just before serving, gently toss the fried livers in the butter and hot sauce mixture. Place the sauced livers on a plate or platter, and serve with celery and/or carrot sticks and your favorite blue cheese dressing or dip – and plenty of napkins.
- Blue Cheese Dressing
-
Peel the garlic and sprinkle the salt over it. With the side of a knife, mash the salt and garlic to a paste and scrape into a small bowl.
-
Add the mayonnaise, crème fraiche, buttermilk, and sherry vinegar to the bowl and whisk to combine.
-
Stir in the blue cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for 20-30 minutes before serving.
See what other Food52ers are saying.