Hígados de Pollo al Jerez

hígados de pollo al jerez

Hígados de Pollo al Jerez is a simple chicken liver dish with sherry that packs an incredible punch! This is probably my favourite chicken liver recipe, which can be served as a tapa, with triangles of fried bread, or as a main course with rice or mashed potato.

Receta de Hígados de Pollo al Jerez:

500g chicken livers (cut into bite sized pieces)
250g pork belly slices (sliced about 1 cm thick)
1 large onion (chopped)
6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/2 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera picante
a level teaspoon cumin seeds (ground with a mortar and pestle, with a pinch of coarse sea salt)
chopped parsley (to serve)
a small glass of Fino sherry
a splash of sherry vinegar
sea salt and cracked black pepper (to taste)
generous amounts of extra virgin olive oil

hígados de pollo

Clean the livers beforehand – trim off any sinews and cut into bite sized pieces.

panceta

Season the pork belly slices with sea salt and cracked black pepper, then brown in extra virgin olive oil. When done, remove to a plate. Pork belly is called panceta in Spanish – you can use a piece of cured panceta (bacon) here if you wish, sliced in the same way.

hìgado

Do the same with the chicken livers, but don’t overcook them. Pink is good at this stage. Chicken livers can be eaten pink (but not bloody), provided that they have reached a temperature of 73.9ºC.

cebolla

Turn the heat down and gently sofreír (poach) the onion until it goes soft and sticky. Add more oil as necessary.

ajos

Stir in the chopped garlic.

pimentón de la vera

Return the panceta to the pan and sprinkle with cumin, pimentón and thyme.

fetges de pollastre

Turn the heat up and return the chicken livers to the cazuela.

fino

Pour on the Fino Sherry and Sherry Vinegar.

jerez y vinagre

Allow the alcohol to burn off for a few minutes and the liquid will thicken a little. Do not cook for too long, or the livers will become hard, instead of having the desired light and fluffy texture.

fetges de pollastre amb xerès

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve immediately on a little mound of mashed potato for supper, or with slices of fried bread as a tapa. The simple combination of cumin, pimentón, sherry and thyme is incredible! The chicken livers stay soft and tender while the pork belly provides bite. Drink a glass or two of Elegante Fino Sherry Palomino N.V. from Gonzalez-Byass with the Hígados de Pollo al Jerez.  Fino is a crisp dry sherry and should be served chilled. It makes for a perfect aperitif which goes exceptionally well with tapas. It’s a far cry from the sickly sweet sherries that the British love to drink at Christmas!