DSC_0476Well…. I don’t really know what to say. I’m sorry, I guess? There are quite a few reasons it’s been so long since my last post. I moved; work has been crazy; I was out of town for nine consecutive days; I haven’t even had the chance to cook that much lately. That said, I am returning to the blogosphere with a prototypical Bachelor’s Test Kitchen meal: rich, calorie-laden and totally inappropriate for the season.

If you follow me on Twitter, then you may have seen me retweet this recipe and picture from the New York Times. When I saw this, I knew I had to make it, and my new roommate was pretty enthusiastic too. Our first “roomie meal” was fantastic, though I might save this one for winter to make again. It’s a lot like goulash, but with chicken liver and mushrooms instead of beef. And it’s slightly higher difficulty since it involves tempered eggs; I was glad I didn’t screw it up after my long absence from the kitchen.

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Here’s the recipe I used:

Ingredients

½ pound wild mushrooms

1 pound chicken livers

All-purpose flour, for dusting Salt and pepper

Pinch of cayenne

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 large shallots, minced

¼ cup white wine

2 to 3 cups chicken stock (or mushroom stock)

½ cup sour cream

1 pound fettuccine

4 egg yolks

Juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon finely cut chives

Process

  1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta.
  2. Trim chicken livers: cut each liver into two lobes, discarding any veiny bits, then cut livers into 1-inch pieces. Put about 1 cup flour in a low bowl and add 1 teaspoon salt, a generous amount of black pepper and a pinch of cayenne. Dip liver chunks in flour mixture, then set them aside in one layer on a baking sheet.
  3. Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium high heat. Quickly brown liver pieces on all sides, then remove them from the pan and blot on paper towels.
  4. Add butter and shallots to pan and cook, stirring frequently, until shallots are softened and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms, season generously with salt and pepper and cook them together with the shallots for about 5 minutes, until they are somewhat soft.
  5. Add white wine and cook for a minute or so, then add 2 cups chicken stock. Bring to a simmer and add previously browned liver. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add more chicken stock, if the mixture looks dry – mine didn’t. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in sour cream and turn off heat
  6. Boil pasta until al dente and drain. While pasta is cooking, beat egg yolks, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Pour egg mixture slowly into chicken liver sauce while constantly stirring, then stir for another minute or so over low heat until slightly thickened, being careful not to curdle egg.
  7. Divide pasta among bowls and spoon sauce over. Mix parsley and chives together and sprinkle over each serving. Serve immediately.

*Note: this recipe is almost completely plagiarized from the New York Times’ David Tanis. Please don’t sue me, I really like your recipe.