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Crostini neri
Chicken liver crostini
Crostini neri: Tuscan chicken liver crostini with capers and sage
ItalianNo Tuscan Christmas lunch or village festa starts without crostini neri, the dark, coarse chicken liver spread from Florence and Siena, spread on toasted unsalted Tuscan bread that has been dipped briefly in broth. The livers are cooked with onion, sage and capers, splashed with Vin Santo or white wine, then chopped rather than blended so the spread keeps some texture. Alcohol is used here: you can replace the wine with the same amount of chicken stock and a teaspoon of red wine vinegar. Chef's tip: cook the livers through, then chop them on the board with a mezzaluna or knife instead of a blender; a smooth paste is pâté, not crostini neri.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the spread
- 10 ½ oz chicken liverstrimmed of sinew
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small onionfinely chopped
- ¼ cup Vin Santo or dry white wineor chicken stock with 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp capersrinsed
- ⅔ oz butter
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
To serve
- 12 slices Tuscan bread or baguettetoasted
- ¾ cup chicken stockwarm
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse 10 ½ oz chicken livers and pat them dry. Cut away any green patches, which taste bitter.
Step 2: Warm 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat and cook 1 small onion and 4 sage leaves for 8 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden.
8 minStep 3: Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the livers and cook for 3–4 minutes, turning, until browned outside.
4 minStep 4: Pour in ¼ cup Vin Santo or dry white wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 8–10 minutes more, until the livers are cooked through with no pink in the middle and reach 165°F. Common mistake: serving them pink; chicken livers must be cooked right through for safety.
12 minStep 5: Take out the sage. Add 1 tbsp capers and 1 anchovy fillet in oil if using, then tip everything onto a board and chop finely with a large knife until it is a coarse, spreadable mash.
Step 6: Return to the pan with ⅔ oz butter, ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and stir over a low heat for 1 minute, until glossy.
1 minStep 7: Dip one side of each slice of 12 slices Tuscan bread or baguette very briefly in ¾ cup chicken stock, spread with the warm liver mixture and serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 210 kcal
- Protein
- 12 g
- Carbs
- 15 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does crostini neri take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of small onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of vin santo or dry white wine?
- Stock with 1 tsp white wine vinegar per 120ml (½ cup).
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