I know, I know, liver?! Ew, right?! I used to be a part of that camp, BUT, the nutrition benefits were so appealing, I just couldn’t shake the desire to find a way to enjoy these typically discarded lovelies.
What makes these little organs so good? Organ meats, in general, are 10-100 times higher in nutrients than the typical muscle-based meats. In fact, in some traditional cultures, only the orang meats were eaten, with the leaner muscle meats (like we mostly eat in the U.S. today) being tossed out or given to pets.
Yes, the liver is a major detoxifying organ, leading some to worry that it’s full of toxins. While the liver does work to neutralize toxins, it doesn’t store them. Toxins the body doesn’t eliminate often accumulates in the fatty tissues and nervous system, not the liver. But, the liver DOES store a lot of important nutrients, including vitamins A, D,E, K, B12, folic acid, and even copper and iron.
Like all foods, you want to make sure your liver is sourced from a healthy animal, producing a high-quality product. Pasture-raised without hormones, antibiotics, or commercial feed is ideal. Not only are these animals raised in a less-stressful environment, making them healthier, they also have much higher nutrients than those sourced from commercial feedlots.
100g of chicken liver (a mere 3 oz) provides more than 50% of your daily iron needs (about 100% for men and 70% for women), over 20g of protein, 60+% of your daily phosphorus requirements, over 50% needed copper, more than 1/3 of your zinc, and over 100% selenium. If that wasn’t enough to convince you of the power of liver, this 3 oz chicken liver serving also contains a plethora of vitamins:
-100+% of vitamin A, folate, pantothenic acid, fiboflavin, and B12
-50% of choline, B6, and niacin
Ok, so, how do you eat it? Well, you can certainly pan-fry it, but I find that a bit trickier to get right and often not as tasty. My preferred preparation is this lovely, silky pate. It’s easy, keeps well, is super tasty, and a very inexpensive, but super healthy option. N loves it on crackers or bread. Hubby does too. Try it! Spread it on crackers, crusty bread, or fresh veggies.
Chicken Liver Pate
Serves 4+
½ lbs chicken livers
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped (or a heaping tsp minced)
1 bay leaf
salt
½ cup water
sprinkling of nutmeg
5 Tbsp butter (grassfed is best)
Rinse the livers and pat dry. If you notice any white connective tissue, cut it off and discard. Combine the livers, shallot, garlic, bay leaf, salt and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to low, allowing everything to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Then turn off the heat, and let sit with lid on for another 5 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf. With a slotted spoon, scoop out the livers, garlic, and shallot and add to a food processor. Add nutmeg. Process until the livers are very well chopped and then start adding the butter, a tablespoon at a time. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed to make sure everything gets well-processed. Once all the butter is add, taste and add more nutmeg (if desired), salt, and pepper as desired.
Scoop the pate into one large or two small remekins/bowls. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it down onto the top of the pate to protect it from air, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or even overnight to allow to firm up. I recommend removing from the fridge 20-30 minutes before serving, if you can, to allow it to warm up slightly. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week!
From Mark’s Daily Apple
Yes, the liver is a major detoxifying organ, leading some to worry that it’s full of toxins. While the liver does work to neutralize toxins, it doesn’t store them. Toxins the body doesn’t eliminate often accumulates in the fatty tissues and nervous system, not the liver. But, the liver DOES store a lot of important nutrients, including vitamins A, D,E, K, B12, folic acid, and even copper and iron.
Like all foods, you want to make sure your liver is sourced from a healthy animal, producing a high-quality product. Pasture-raised without hormones, antibiotics, or commercial feed is ideal. Not only are these animals raised in a less-stressful environment, making them healthier, they also have much higher nutrients than those sourced from commercial feedlots.
100g of chicken liver (a mere 3 oz) provides more than 50% of your daily iron needs (about 100% for men and 70% for women), over 20g of protein, 60+% of your daily phosphorus requirements, over 50% needed copper, more than 1/3 of your zinc, and over 100% selenium. If that wasn’t enough to convince you of the power of liver, this 3 oz chicken liver serving also contains a plethora of vitamins:
-100+% of vitamin A, folate, pantothenic acid, fiboflavin, and B12
-50% of choline, B6, and niacin
Ok, so, how do you eat it? Well, you can certainly pan-fry it, but I find that a bit trickier to get right and often not as tasty. My preferred preparation is this lovely, silky pate. It’s easy, keeps well, is super tasty, and a very inexpensive, but super healthy option. N loves it on crackers or bread. Hubby does too. Try it! Spread it on crackers, crusty bread, or fresh veggies.
Chicken Liver Pate
Serves 4+
½ lbs chicken livers
1 shallot, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped (or a heaping tsp minced)
1 bay leaf
salt
½ cup water
sprinkling of nutmeg
5 Tbsp butter (grassfed is best)
Rinse the livers and pat dry. If you notice any white connective tissue, cut it off and discard. Combine the livers, shallot, garlic, bay leaf, salt and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to low, allowing everything to simmer for 3-5 minutes. Then turn off the heat, and let sit with lid on for another 5 minutes.
Discard the bay leaf. With a slotted spoon, scoop out the livers, garlic, and shallot and add to a food processor. Add nutmeg. Process until the livers are very well chopped and then start adding the butter, a tablespoon at a time. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed to make sure everything gets well-processed. Once all the butter is add, taste and add more nutmeg (if desired), salt, and pepper as desired.
Scoop the pate into one large or two small remekins/bowls. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it down onto the top of the pate to protect it from air, and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or even overnight to allow to firm up. I recommend removing from the fridge 20-30 minutes before serving, if you can, to allow it to warm up slightly. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week!
From Mark’s Daily Apple