Chicken Livers & Rustic Portuguese Roll Recipe

Prepare livers

Trim any connective tissue or sinew from the chicken livers and pat them dry with paper towels. Season lightly with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp black pepper; set aside.

Sweat onion and garlic

Heat 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the finely chopped yellow onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 6–8 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Build the sauce

Stir in the chopped tomatoes, 3 tbs PERi-PERi sauce, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano and the red chili (or 1 tsp flakes). Cook for 4–5 minutes to break down the tomatoes and meld flavors.

Deglaze and simmer

Pour in 125 ml chicken stock, scrape any browned bits from the pan, and bring to a gentle simmer. Let the sauce reduce for 6–8 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust seasoning with remaining salt (0.5 tsp if needed) and pepper.

Cook the livers

Increase heat to medium-high. Add the remaining 1 tbs olive oil to the skillet and add the trimmed livers in a single layer, being careful not to overcrowd — cook in batches if necessary. Sear for 1.5–2 minutes per side until the exterior is browned but the centers remain slightly pink (internal temperature ~65–70°C / 150–158°F). Do not overcook or livers will become dry and grainy.

Finish sauce and rest

Once livers are cooked, return any batch-cooked livers to the pan (if you cooked in batches) and fold gently into the sauce. Stir in 1 tbs lemon juice and 2 tbs chopped fresh parsley. Remove from heat and let rest for 2–3 minutes to allow flavors to marry.

Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional PERi-PERi or salt/pepper as preferred. Spoon the livers and sauce into a shallow serving dish.

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F) or use a toaster oven. Slice rolls in half horizontally.

Brush the cut sides lightly with 1 tbs olive oil (or spread a little butter if preferred). Place cut-side up on a baking tray and warm in the oven for 5–7 minutes until crisp at the edges and warmed through.

Serve rolls warm alongside the chicken livers so diners can mop up the garlicky PERi-PERi sauce.

If making spicy rice, place 1 cup rinsed rice, 2 cups water or stock, 1 tsp olive oil, 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp chili flakes into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat.

Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15–18 minutes until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve with the chicken livers.