ANN/THE JAPAN NEWS – Chef Ryo Imai suggests stir-fried liver with garlic chives, a popular Chinese dish. His secret tip? Adding a dash of curry powder to enhance the flavour.
First, the chicken liver is carefully washed in ice water to remove a blackish-red strip of flesh that produces a distinctive odour. The water should be replaced once or twice during the process. Chicken livers are sometimes sold with a portion of the heart. Imai recommends not to remove it, as it provides a nice, firm texture.
Other than chives, bean sprouts are often used as an ingredient in stir-fried liver dishes. But as they tend to make the dish too watery, he used onion instead.
A small amount of curry powder is added to the sauce to keep the flavour from becoming overpowering. “The curry powder will reduce the smell of the liver, while preserving the flavour,” he said.
Because it is seasoned before grilling, the liver should be the first ingredient grilled, as it takes more time than normal to brown. If the liver is stir-fried together with vegetables, the vegetables will be overcooked, and the texture of the dish will deteriorate.
Therefore, remove the liver from the pan before frying the vegetables. Add the liver back in and mix together while still on the heat.
When combining the sauce with the solid ingredients, do not pour the sauce directly on top, because they will become watery while the sauce is warm.
Let the sauce simmer in a space in the pan before mixing.
The textures of both the crunchy vegetables and the tender liver are pleasant. The curry powder gives the dish a gentle aroma, making it easy to eat. This dish is a good way to restore stamina.
STIR-FRIED LIVER AND GARLIC CHIVES
Ingredients
– 200 grammes chicken liver
– One bunch garlic chives
– Half onion
– One clove minced garlic
– One clove minced ginger
– One teaspoon oyster sauce
– One teaspoon curry powder
Directions
Cut the chives into five-centimetre pieces and the onion into five-millimetre slices.
Cut the liver into bite-sized pieces and rinse two or three times in ice water. Leave to soak for 10 minutes and then pat dry.
Add the liver, two teaspoons of soya sauce, one teaspoon of sesame oil and one tablespoon of potato starch to a bowl. Mix well with your hand.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the liver and remove when browned on both sides.
Wipe the pan, and heat one tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute briefly. When fragrant, add the chives and onion, and stir-fry for about one minute.
Return the liver to the pan, and mix with the other ingredients.
Prepare the sauce by mixing together one tablespoon of soya sauce, one tablespoon of rice vinegar, one teaspoon of oyster sauce and quarter teaspoon of curry powder.
Make room in the pan, pour in the sauce and bring to the boil. Stir-fry quickly before serving.
