It surprises me that I have never shared this recipe with you. It is the pinnacle of Tuscan cuisine. And has been such a prevalent part of my Tuscan life throughout the years.
On my first romantic evening in Firenze, it was aperitivo hour. Which I was naive to at the time.
Through a recommendation, we went to a quaint bar called 'a volpe e l'uva'. The place was filled with Tuscan wines stored within the ceiling high timber shelving, and there are were no more than eight stools at the bar. We casually sat at the bar, and I ordered a glass of wine. Probably a Chianti classico, it was eight years ago and was one of the only Italian wine varieties I knew. With a glass of wine, a small plate of various food was placed in front of us. It included cured meats, cheese (with honey), and small crusty pieces of bread with a brown paste smeared on top. This is the moment that I fell in love with aperitivo. That with a glass of wine, comes a complimentary tasting plate of finger food.
Since then, I have learnt that the brown paste smeared on top of the crusty bread, is in fact 'fegatini di pollo toscani' (or simply known as fegatini), chicken liver pate Tuscan style.
This beloved brown paste, is served in every Tuscan restaurant, trattoria, enoteca, osteria, and is loved amongst Tuscans. It will be found on the menu under antipasto, crostini.
Crostini is also a stable starter in most Tuscan homes, and is also served during important festive seasons.
The reason that I am thinking of this recipe now, is that Easter is upon us, and the Easter table would not be complete without it. I am feeling quite nostalgic, and making this dish has been like an invisible embrace.
Traditionally it is accompanied with various cheeses and cured meats, but the crostini are usually presented on a plate of their own. Due to the unappealing colour, I generally add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, but that is being pretty 'fancy' for old school rustic Tuscan standards and is by no means necessary.
Yes, of course, every Tuscan household will have a different version of this recipe. Some add balsamic vinegar, but that is made in Modena therefor instantly making it non Tuscan. Some add capers, and some don't, I do! This is a recipe lovingly handed down to me, and I have just tweaked it a little, learning from various Nonna`s.
Make sure you serve it abundantly on wholemeal dense crusty bread!
Grab a glass of red, put on some Bocelli, and I guarantee you will be transported to Toscana!
What you need:
500 grams of well cleaned chicken livers
two white onions roughly chopped
50 grams of salted butter
Good drizzle of oil oil
1/2 cup of dry white wine
four anchovy fillets, made in Italy and in olive oil
three teaspoons of Italian capers in vinegar
bayleaf
rosemary sprigs
3/4 garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste
How to make:
1: It is really important that you start of with clean chicken livers to prevent it from tasting bitter. Soaking the livers in cold water and removing any connective tissue will give you clean livers ready to use. You can ask your butcher to clean for you, but it always good to triple check and clean at home. If you are unsure of how to clean correctly, please research separately the simple cleaning techniques.
2: Add butter, olive oil, finely chopped onion and salt to a heavy based pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes on a low heat until the onions are translucent. Add chopped garlic and anchovies and cook for a further two minutes.
3: Add cleaned chicken livers to pan and brown off whilst stirring.
4: Add white wine,water, rosemary and bayleaves. Allow to simmer on a low heat for roughly 30 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.
5: Add capers and stir though.
6: Turn off heat and allow to cool slightly, before passing the chunky mix through a food processor. The consistency is merely a matter of preference. I like mine quite smooth, therefor I blend for a longer amount of time. Blend the mix until you reach your desired consistency.
7: Serve warm on crusty bread and enjoy with red wine, or it can be kept in the fridge for about a week. Also enjoyable served at room temperature, and a great 'go to' party snack.
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| Home made jars of fegatini made for tasty gifts |
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| A rather zany antipasto platter, with fegatini in the foreground |