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Hotchpotch of chicken livers

A)
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