Chicken Liver Salad with Hot Vinaigrette Dressing

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Story: 

I went to the Cannes Film Festival in 1992 because Michael Williams Jones had asked me to bring services (another food story for later) to Europe and was refusing to sign up as a paying client.  I did not realize he could not fire anyone…European labor laws…to help us get established and streamline services.  I was chic in my Norma Kamali black body suit and my young trim figure.  I was miserable and alone with not one invitation except from a woman who was trying to set up competing services…Remember MAP?   Feh! Fooey!  How to do you say ‘spit upon’ in French?  I went to dinner one night by myself in a tiny café around the corner from the Carlton Hotel.  Chicken Liver Salad with Hot Vinaigrette Dressing put my soul together.  I marched over to Patio of the Carlton.  I sat down at the table in my Kamali, with the most powerful distribs…Tom Pollock, Tony Manne and his boss, MWJ’s VP, you know, the guy with the handlebar moustache??? (forgot his name, but his wife’s name was Sookie, that gorgeous brunette…a May December union…nevermind)

Mr. Moustache said, “Marcie, forget it.”  I turned on my sweetest charm.  “That just won’t work.  I’ve invested too much already.  What time does he get up to exercise?  I’ll jog with him on the beach…”  I would not go away.  I ordered dry sherry.  MWJ was last to join our established ‘table a dix’.  Mr. M set the meeting for us right there.  Tom stood up and surveyed the sea of tables, “We have the most powerful table here.” he said in a most self satisfied Hollywood moment manner.  I had my meeting the next day.  I opened in London soon thereafter…

And my adventurous eater daughter and I, just before she became a December Bride, shared this soul binding meal together…

Chicken Liver Salad with Hot Vinaigrette Dressing ~

  • Salad greens including frisee, baby lettuces, arugula, watercress…mix and match what you like best but use some of these complex textures and flavors…not just your every day lettuces…ok?
  • Fresh Chicken livers
  • Chicken fat
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Your favorite vinaigrette
  • Put your greens on the plate

Take a piece of chicken fat.  Render it in a small fry pan.  Turn heat to medium.  Put the fresh chicken livers in the hot pan and fry until white rims appear.  Flip them and sauté until cooked through yet still pink in the middle.  Like medium rare plus.  Ok?

Now, remove the livers to the top of the greens.  Remove the rendered piece of fat (griebenas) and drain any excess fat from the pan (there probably won’t be any, but just to make sure).

Add  your vinaigrette dressing to the pan and swirl until it is luxuriously mixed with the brown bits from the pan and very hot.

Pour over the salad.

May your heart and soul be blessed…

Love,

Auntie Marcie