Recipes, Chicken Recipes

Pappardelle with Chicken Liver Ragù

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Fresh pappardelle pasta served with rich Tuscan chicken liver ragù, finished with butter and Parmesan

I ate this dish somewhere in Tuscany, at an old convent where they served a few plates of food. I cannot remember exactly where it was, but it was idyllic – we sat outside, under an old oak tree which shaded a hill from the summer sun. I think I was twelve, perhaps a year or two older; it is a happy memory.

This recipe is by Jacob Kenedy and is kindly reproduced with his permission from BOCCA: Cookbook.

Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main

Ingredients

Chicken Liver Ragù

Method

  1. Heat a wide frying pan over a high heat until smoking profusely. Toss the chicken livers in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and some salt and pepper, then pour into the hot pan, spreading them out as much as you can. Let them fry without moving them for 2 minutes, until well browned on one side, then turn them over and fry the second side in the same way, then transfer to a plate to cool. When safe to handle, chop them finely with a knife, reserving any juices that oozed onto the plate as they sat.
  2. Fry the onion, celery and garlic in the remaining oil with salt and pepper in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat. After 10 minutes, when very soft, add the chopped chicken liver and its juices and fry for a couple of minutes until hot through. Add the Marsala and wine and cook at the gentlest of simmers until the sauce is very thick, almost like a pâté, at least 30 minutes. It will thicken and concentrate as it cooks; if it gets too dry you may need to add 100ml or so of water during the cooking – don’t let it fry. Stir in the rosemary and take off the heat: this sauce can be refrigerated for a few days, or used straightaway.
  3. When ready to eat, put the pasta on to boil in lots of salted boiling water, and heat the sauce in a wide frying pan. Add a splash of the pasta water to thin the sauce slightly; the liquid part should be creamy. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add to the sauce with the parsley and butter. Cook together for a few moments, until the butter has melted and the pasta is well coated in the sauce, then serve with a light sprinkling of Parmesan.

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The Italian phrase Bocca al lupo means "Into the wolf’s mouth, and is commonly used to wish somebody good luck. Luck is not something that chef and restaurateur Jacob Kenedy needs much of. After a stint at Moro, London, a fabulous North African and Spanish tapas restaurant; and a wonderful opportunity at acclaimed Boulevard, San Francisco, Jacob emerged an accomplished, creative and entrepreneurial chef. Jacob’s fascination with Italian cuisine led to his 2008 partnership with Victor Hugo, and the launch of Bocca di Lupo on to the London food scene, which it took by storm. It has a touch of glamour, but is a family business and a simple trattoria at its core. Guests can bring their dogs, perch at the counter, and feast on a range of beautiful small plates. This is humble, rustic, provincial Italian fare at its best. Jacob has created one of the finest restaurants in London, an honest dining experience, and a feast for the senses.