» Anthony Smook Chardonnay

Chicken Liver Crostini

No festive Tuscan meal would be complete without a platter of crostini to start it off.

What are crostini? Thin slices of lightly toasted bread, with a variety of toppings, generally patés moist enough to be easily spreadable. A long thin loaf such as a baguette will work well (slice it on a diagonal, into half-inch slices). The topping should be spread about a quarter-inch thick. In addition to bread, you can also use polenta squares, cut to the same size and fried for a few minutes, or until crisp and golden, in hot oil (read more). They're especially good with mushroom sauce (read more), but are also quite nice with the most traditional crostini spread, which is made with chicken livers and sage.

Ingredients:

• Chicken livers
• Onion or shallots
• Olive oil
• Prosciutto fat
• Parsley
• Celery
• Carrot
• White wine or Marsala

Preparation:
Even those who cannot stand liver will like this! Mince and sauté white onion or shallot in olive oil, adding prosciutto fat, parsley, celery and carrot - a little of each. Coarsely chop and add the livers. Sprinkle with white wine. Let evaporate. When the livers are half done remove them from the pot and mince them, with a few previously steeped dried porcini. Finish cooking the paté over a low flame, moistening it with broth, white wine or Marsala. Feel free to make variations, for example capers or anchovies instead of mushrooms.

The spread is done when the chicken livers are completely cooked; it takes about 10 minutes of simmering (with constant stirring) after you return the ground mixture to the stove. Once the mixture is ready, spread it on thinly sliced bread.

Serve as an antipasto starter with a glass of Smook’s Chardonnay.