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Chicken Liver Salad with Pickles, Egg and Cheese
Instructions
Get the ingredients ready. Boil the liver in advance: cover it with cold water, bring to the boil, skim off the foam and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes, large lobes for 15 minutes. Salt the water 3-5 minutes before the end. Cut the largest piece open: no pink should remain inside. Let the liver cool. Hard-boil the eggs.
Slice the carrot into thin strips and sauté in vegetable oil until soft, 5-7 minutes. Coarsely grated carrot also works, but it is barely noticeable in the salad.
Cut the cooled liver into cubes or strips.
Dice the eggs, not too finely, so the salad does not turn mushy.
Dice the pickles and squeeze out a little of the brine so the salad is not watery.
Combine the liver, eggs, pickles and cooled carrot.
Add the mayonnaise and mix. If you make the salad ahead, dress it just before serving.
Spoon the salad onto a plate through a serving ring and finely grate the hard cheese over the top. Remove the ring and garnish with herbs.
Serve the salad straight away or keep it in the fridge until serving.
Tips
- 1
Do not overcook the liver: after 15 minutes it turns dry and rubbery. But do not leave it pink either: Campylobacter is found not only on the surface of chicken liver but inside it. It is made safe by heating the centre to 70 °C for 2 minutes.
- 2
Bitterness comes from leftover bile ducts and greenish bile stains: trim them off before cooking.
- 3
Squeeze the pickles lightly: the brine makes the salad watery. 100 g of pickles contains about 3 g of salt, so the salad hardly needs extra.
- 4
Sautéed carrot adds sweetness that balances the sour pickles. Cut it into strips so you can taste it in the salad.
How to Boil Chicken Liver for Salad
Rinse the liver and trim off membranes, fat, ducts and greenish bile stains. Cover with cold water by 2-3 cm, bring to the boil, skim off the foam and simmer gently. Salt the liver at the end, 3-5 minutes before it is done.
| Liver | Time after the boil |
|---|---|
| Whole lobes medium | 10-12 min |
| Large lobes 50-60 g each | 15 min |
| Pieces 2-3 cm for a quick salad | 7-10 min |
Judge doneness by the cut of the largest piece rather than by the clock: the liver should be evenly brown inside with no pink or blood. A kitchen thermometer is the most reliable: US guidance for poultry liver is 74 °C (165 °F) in the centre, the UK Food Standards Agency accepts 70 °C held for 2 minutes.
Why Chicken Liver Must Not Stay Pink
Chicken liver is often contaminated with Campylobacter, and not only on the outside. In one study the bacteria were found on the surface of all 30 shop-bought livers and inside 90% of them. That is why searing is not enough: the liver must be heated all the way through.
Colour is misleading: in a University of Liverpool survey, 19-52% of 141 chefs chose livers so pink that the centre never reached 70 °C. Outbreaks of campylobacteriosis linked to undercooked liver and pâté are regularly recorded in the UK, Australia and the US.
For pregnant women, the NHS advises avoiding liver altogether: it is very high in vitamin A, about 4 mg per 100 g.
How Long a Liver Salad with Mayonnaise Keeps
Under Russian sanitary rules (SanPiN 2.3.2.1324-03), meat and poultry salads dressed with mayonnaise keep for no more than 12 hours at 2-6 °C, and salads with boiled eggs or canned vegetables for no more than 6 hours. This salad contains eggs, so 6 hours is the guide. Dress salads just before serving and do not leave them on the table overnight.
Undressed chopped ingredients can be kept in closed containers in the fridge for up to 18 hours and dressed before serving. At room temperature, keep the salad out for no more than 2 hours.
How to Choose Chicken Liver
- Fresh liver is smooth and glossy, dark red or reddish-brown, with a faint sweetish smell.
- Greenish stains mean the gallbladder was nicked during butchering: those spots are bitter and should be trimmed off.
- A sharp or sour smell and a sticky surface are signs of spoilage: do not buy such liver.
- Keep chilled liver in the fridge for 1-2 days; thaw frozen liver in the fridge, not on the counter.
Layered Version for a Festive Table
For a festive table you can assemble the salad in layers instead of mixing it, in a ring or a glass bowl, with a thin mesh of mayonnaise on each layer: liver, sautéed carrot, pickles, eggs, then grated cheese on top. A layered salad needs 1-2 hours in the fridge to set, and once assembled it keeps as long as the mixed version: no more than 6 hours.
Substitutions
- Mayonnaise. Sour cream with a spoonful of mustard: the salad is lighter, and the mustard adds a kick.
- Pickles. Marinated cucumbers give a sharper taste. Fresh cucumbers work too: classic meat salads use either fresh or pickled.
- Chicken liver. Turkey liver is close in taste and texture. Beef liver is denser and takes longer to cook.
- Cheese. Any hard cheese that grates well, such as gouda or edam.
More liver salads: Obzhorka salad with liver, layered chicken liver salad with onions and carrots, liver cake. For a party, serve this salad in tartlets.
Video
FAQ
How long do you boil chicken liver for salad? +
Whole lobes 10-12 minutes after the water boils, over low heat; large lobes 15 minutes; 2-3 cm pieces 7-10 minutes. Check by cutting: no pink should remain inside.
Why did the liver turn out tough? +
It was overcooked or boiled too hard. Keep a gentle simmer and check the liver by cutting it from the 10th minute.
Why does chicken liver taste bitter? +
Usually because of leftover bile: greenish stains and ducts. Trim them off before cooking.
Should liver be soaked in milk? +
It is popular advice, but there is no tested evidence that milk removes bitterness or makes liver more tender. If you soak it, keep the bowl in the fridge.
Can fried liver be used instead of boiled? +
Yes: fry the liver in pieces over medium heat until no pink remains inside. Fried liver gives the salad a stronger flavour.
What can replace the pickles? +
Marinated or fresh cucumbers. With marinated ones the salad is sharper, with fresh ones lighter.
How long does a liver salad with mayonnaise keep? +
No more than 6 hours in the fridge at 2-6 °C after dressing, because the salad contains eggs. Undressed ingredients can be stored separately and dressed before serving.
Can the salad be made ahead? +
Yes: boil the liver and eggs, chop everything and keep it in closed containers in the fridge. Combine and dress with mayonnaise just before serving.
Can you eat liver salad when pregnant? +
The NHS advises pregnant women not to eat liver or liver products because they contain too much vitamin A.
How many calories are in this salad? +
About 147 kcal per 100 g. Boiled chicken liver has 167 kcal and 24.5 g of protein per 100 g, according to the USDA.
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