Lunch: Sautéed Chicken Livers with Raisins and Pine Nuts

Sicily is the inspiration for chicken livers in a wine sauce redolent of garlic and studded with raisins and pine nuts. The livers are delicious over polenta — better yet, crisp fried polenta. Or serve them on a bed of buttered noodles or on toast.

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Nuts

Health benefits of Sautéed Chicken Livers with Raisins and Pine Nuts

Nuts are a natural source of Inositol, a derivative of Vitamin B (which is often prescribed in the form of supplements for women with PCOS). Inositol can effectively control the symptoms of PCOS by reducing insulin resistance and improving insulin sensitivity.

Ingredients

1/3 c. pine nuts
1/3 c. raisins
3/4 c. canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
3/4 c. dry vermouth or dry white wine
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 1/4 lb. chicken livers
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp. flour
3 tbsp. Chopped flat-leaf parsley

Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast pine nuts in oven until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
In a small stainless-steel saucepan, combine raisins, broth ,and vermouth. Bring to boil and simmer until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Set aside.
In a large frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat. Season livers with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and cook, in two batches if necessary, until almost done, about 3 minutes. The livers should still be quite pink inside. Remove from pan.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter to pan and reduce heat to moderately low. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring, 15 seconds longer. Stir in raisin-and-vermouth mixture and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a simmer, scraping bottom of pan to dislodge any brown bits. Add livers and any accumulated juices, pine nuts, and parsley and simmer until livers are just done, about 1 minute longer.
Wine recommendation: Try matching the savory tastes of this Sicilian-flavored dish with a rustic red wine that hails from the same region. Or serve the easy-to-find Salice Salentino from Apulia, also in Southern Italy.

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