Q: I am looking for a good Portuguese chicken livers recipe. Thanks

A: Chicken livers are delicious, simply pan-fried with a bit of butter and garlic.  The secret is not to overcook them.  They should still be slightly pink in the middle.  In our Portuguese cooking class at Wickedfood cooking school, our students cook the following dish, with a spicy peri-peri sauce. It makes a delicious starter.

500g chicken livers

2T olive oil

2T butter

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3-6 chillies (according to taste)

1t salt

¹/2t cumin

2t paprika

1 bay leaf

1t chicken stock

±²/3 cup white wine

1 loaf crusty Portuguese bread

1. Trim the livers of any fat, and cut in into ±2cm peices.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a pan and fry onions, garlic, chillies and spices until the onions are soft.
3. Add livers and cook until just brown, stirring gently.
4. Add bay leaf, chicken stock and wine. Simmer over low heat for 5-8 minutes. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Serves 6

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.