Liver, heart and bacon skewers

Autumn

Every so often I’ll have a freezer sort out. It’s like re-reading a diary, but instead of writing things down on paper, the words have been cooked, then packed into tubs and bags and a jumble of other containers. Each entry in my freezer is a moment or experience, frozen in time. It’s like fossiling, in a roundabout way although you don’t need a hammer and spade, just an open mind. Among the soups and stewed fruit, I always find four or five packets of giblets never fewer, never more. They are forever there. This recipe is something I like to make with the livers and hearts; it’s an absolutely delicious snack.

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 chicken livers
8 chicken hearts
4 slices of streaky bacon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
a knob of butter
1 garlic clove, bashed
6–8 sage leaves, chopped
a few thyme sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
toast, to serve (optional)

Method

Place the chicken livers and hearts on a board. Use a sharp knife to trim the coarser tops off the hearts. If they’re a little bloody inside, give them a brief rinse. Cut the livers in half and trim away any sinew or membrane.

Stretch out the bacon with the back of a knife so it’s a little thinner.

To assemble a skewer, thread one end of a length of bacon onto the stick. Slide on a piece of liver, then lift the bacon back over and thread it down over the stick to envelop the liver. Now slip on a heart, followed by another turn of bacon. Repeat this process with two more pieces of liver, one more heart, and finish with a final piece of liver. Alternatively, just thread it all on in any order; as long as the bacon snakes its way up the skewer, it’ll all taste great. Repeat this process with the remaining three skewers.

Make sure you have a nice hot fire. It doesn’t have to be a big one; it just wants to be giving off some real heat. Trickle the skewers with the extra-virgin olive oil and season them with a little salt and pepper.

Lay the skewers on the hot grill and cook for 4–5 minutes on each side, or until the bacon is beginning to crisp around the edges and the liver and hearts are nice and golden.

While the skewers are cooking, set a small pan down over the fire and add the butter and bashed garlic clove. Add the sage and thyme to the bubbling butter along with a little black pepper.

Lift the skewers off the grill and onto a plate. Spoon over the herby butter and serve with some toast or on their own.

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