600 grams chicken livers cleaned, de-nerved and cut in large pieces
6 large sage leaves
3-4 spoons olive oil
salt and pepper
B)
a blend of:
6 egg yolks (put the whites to one side)
2 cloves of garlic
10 sage leaves
a pinch of fennel seeds
2 crumbled bay leaves
a pinch of pepper and of fin erbe
10 juniper berries
the rind (yellow only) of 1 lemon and the juice of 2 lemons
salt
In a capacious pan put the oil, livers and sage from A), fry
over high heat for 4-5 minutes stirring continually. When the livers have
lightened on the outside but are still red inside add the blend of ingredients
in B) and cook over high heat for 5-6 minutes or until the egg and lemon
sauce has taken on a certain consistency and become compact in a type of
omelette (the hotchpotch) quite thick and consistent. It is served with
boiled french beans tossed in oil and lemon.
This is a sort of fricassee which, in Tuscany,
is made with infinite variety from family to family. Its characteristic
would be completely expressed if, instead of just livers one used the chicken
giblets (+crest, jowl, etc.) which are however now almost impossible to
find and therefore we have not mentioned them here. The sauce in that case
is simply to tie together the various flavours, the most varied, and not
characterise the preparation as with the liver variety here mentioned. Which
anyway always remains extremely tasty and appealing.
A Giuseppe Alessi recipe
Translated by Gianna Toni