Spicy Chicken Livers, Baby Buttons & Creamy Samp
A fusion of Portuguese and South African cuisine making a perfect appetizer.
Ingredients
For the chicken livers:
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 500 g free-range chicken livers, cleaned
- 250 g baby button mushrooms, sliced in half
- 1 yellow pepper, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- Juice of ½ lemon
- 250 ml cream
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the samp:
- 2 cups samp
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 125 ml cream
- 125 g crème fraîche
- 2 tbsp butter
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
For the samp:
- Wash and soak samp overnight the day before you want to make the livers. Drain the samp after soaking overnight and place it in a large pot, and cover with chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then simmer gently for 1-2 hours or until soft. When soft, stir in the cream and bring to a simmer. Reduce until creamy. Switch off the heat and stir in the crème fraîche and butter. Season well with salt to taste.
For the livers:
- Pat chicken livers dry with a paper towel to encourage good caramelization and browning. Heat butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté onions until soft and then add garlic and chicken livers. Sauté until chicken livers are browned, then add the mushrooms and bell peppers. Season well. Add tomato paste, spices and lemon juice. Cook for a few minutes until the flavours have melded together and the tomato paste smells sweet. Pour in the cream and simmer for 5-10 minutes.Season well with salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve the livers on a bed of creamy samp with extra lemon wedges on the side.