This Italian recipe for chicken livers crostini goes well with some toasted French bread - and the caramelised grapes are to die for.
Ingredients
- 500g small, sweet, seedless red grapes
- 1 French baguette, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 25g butter
- 4 shallots, finely chopped
- 350g good-quality chicken livers, trimmed and chopped into small pieces
- Leaves from 1 large fresh rosemary sprig
- 3 tbsp Vin Santo, Marsala or medium-sweet sherry
- 1 tbsp nonpareilles capers (small capers), drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Remove the grapes from their stalks and spread out on a non-stick baking tray. Roast for 25-30 minutes, shaking the tray now and then to prevent them sticking, until they have started to caramelise. Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C/fan120°C/gas 1 and roast for a further 40-45 minutes until shrivelled up, sticky and sweet. Remove and set aside.
- 2. Toast the bread slices, rub lightly with the garlic and drizzle with a little oil. Set aside.
- 3. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan. Add the shallots and cook gently for 5 minutes, until soft and lightly browned. Turn up the heat to high, add the chicken livers and rosemary and cook briskly for 2 minutes, stirring, until the livers are just cooked. Add the Vin Santo, Marsala or sherry and cook for a further minute or until it has evaporated. Stir in the capers, parsley and some seasoning to taste.
- 4. Spoon some of the chicken livers onto each piece of toast and top with 2-3 caramelised grapes. Serve immediately.