Omelet with Chicken’s Liver

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-inch (20 cm) seasoned carbon-steel or nonstick omelet pan
• •10-inch (25 cm) sauté pan
• •Small heavy-bottomed saucepan
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Flexible heatproof spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Ready the service

   Warm four plates with hot water, then dry them thoroughly. Put the half-glaze in a small saucepan and bring it to a bare simmer; reserve ¼ cup (60 ml / about 62 g) for finishing the plates and keep the remainder beside the liver pan. Divide the eggs among four bowls, three eggs per bowl, but don't beat them yet. Set out the butter, seasonings, parsley, and a tablespoon measure. Once the eggs begin cooking, nothing else should need your attention.

2. 2

   Sauté the livers

   Melt 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 28 g) butter in a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the foam subsides, season the diced livers with ¼ teaspoon (1 ml / 1.5 g) salt and half the pepper, then add them in one uncrowded layer. Sauté, cooking quickly while tossing, until the edges are well browned and the small pieces reach 165°F (74°C), about 2 to 3 minutes. If the livers release liquid and begin to stew, lift them out immediately, boil the liquid away, and return them for thirty seconds. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Bind the garnish

   Lower the heat and add the unreserved ¼ cup (60 ml / about 62 g) half-glaze to the livers. Toss for 30 to 60 seconds, just until the sauce clings and coheres the dice into a glossy garnish without hiding their shape. If the glaze runs across the pan, simmer it a little longer; if it turns pasty, loosen it with a few drops of hot water. Portion two-thirds of the mixture for filling the omelets and one-third for their openings, keeping both warm over the gentlest heat.

4. 4

   Beat one portion

   Beat the first bowl of three eggs with ⅛ teaspoon salt and a small pinch of the remaining pepper, stopping as soon as the whites and yolks are fully joined. Don't beat in air and don't season all four portions at once; salt left standing in beaten egg thins it, while separate bowls keep every omelet consistent.

5. 5

   Form the omelet

   Heat an 8-inch (20 cm) omelet pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 14 g) butter. Swirl as it foams, then pour in the eggs. Stir briskly with a fork or flexible spatula while shaking the pan until small, moist curds form, then spread them into an even layer. While the surface remains softly wet but no loose egg runs, place exactly 2 tablespoons of the warm liver mixture across the center. Fold the near third over the filling, then roll the omelet toward the far rim and turn it seam-side down onto a warm plate. If the egg catches before you can fold it, take the pan off the heat and loosen the edge gently. A tender omelet with a wrinkle is still a good omelet.

6. 6

   Open and finish

   With the tip of a small knife, make a shallow opening lengthwise along the crown without cutting through the bottom. Ease the opening apart and spoon in exactly 1 tablespoon of the reserved liver garnish. Sprinkle lightly with parsley, then surround the omelet with 1 tablespoon of the reserved warm half-glaze, poured in a narrow thread rather than a puddle.

7. 7

   Repeat and serve

   Wipe the pan clean, then repeat with the remaining egg portions, using 1 tablespoon butter, 2 tablespoons liver filling, 1 tablespoon liver garnish, and 1 tablespoon finishing half-glaze for each omelet. Work steadily so the first waits no longer than five minutes, or send each plate directly to the table as it is finished. Omelets don't improve under a cover or in an oven. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose chicken livers that are firm, moist, and deep burgundy, with no sour smell. Trim away connective tissue and discard any piece marked by green bile, which is bitter enough to spoil the entire garnish.
• •A proper prepared half-glaze sets like a soft jelly when cold and melts into a glossy, spoon-coating sauce. Avoid salty brown gravy sold under the name demi-glace; reducing it only concentrates the mistake.
• •An 8-inch (20 cm) pan gives three eggs the right depth for a tender folded omelet. A much larger pan spreads them thin, and the surface sets before the filling can be enclosed.
• •Keep the livers diced small and even. Large pieces remain undercooked at the center while their surfaces toughen, but neat ¼-inch dice sauté safely and quickly.
• •Pour a light Beaujolais or another supple, low-tannin red. Heavy tannin exaggerates the liver's mineral edge, while bright fruit clears the butter and demi-glace from the palate.

Advance Preparation

• •The half-glaze may be prepared or purchased up to 3 days ahead, chilled, and rewarmed gently. If it has set very firmly, loosen it with a few drops of hot water until it pours in a narrow thread.
• •The livers may be trimmed and diced up to 8 hours ahead. Keep them covered at the back of the refrigerator, then dry them well before sautéing so they brown instead of releasing water.
• •The liver garnish can wait warmly for about 15 minutes, but the omelets cannot be made ahead. Set the table first and cook them as the final act.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 215g)