Crostini di Fegatini alla Toscana

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 12-inch skillet
• •Sharp chef's knife for chopping
• •Wooden cutting board

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the livers

   Examine each liver carefully. Remove any green-tinged portions, which indicate contact with the bile sac and will make your spread bitter. Trim away connective tissue and any fat. Pat completely dry with paper towels. Wet livers will steam rather than sear, and you will have a gray, unpleasant result.

   Fresh livers should smell clean, almost sweet. Any sharp ammonia odor means they have turned. Do not attempt to cook past this. Buy fresh livers or do not make this dish.
2. 2

   Cook the aromatics

   In a heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter with the olive oil over medium heat. When the butter foam subsides, add the diced onion and cook until completely soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the anchovy fillets and stir, pressing them with a wooden spoon until they dissolve into the onion. This happens quickly. Add the sage leaves and cook 30 seconds more.

3. 3

   Sear the livers

   Push the onion mixture to the sides of the pan and increase heat to medium-high. Add the livers in a single layer. Do not crowd them. Let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes until browned on the bottom, then turn and brown the second side, another 2 minutes. The livers should remain pink in the center. Cut one open to check. Overcooked livers become grainy and lose their silky quality.

   If your pan is too small, cook the livers in batches. Crowding causes steaming, and steamed livers taste like school cafeteria food. This is not what we are making.
4. 4

   Deglaze with vin santo

   Pour in the vin santo. It will sizzle and steam. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. These are flavor. Let the wine reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

5. 5

   Create the spread

   Transfer the contents of the pan to a cutting board. Add the capers. Chop everything together with a sharp knife until you have a coarse, spreadable paste. Some prefer a rougher texture, some smoother. Both are correct in Tuscany. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter while still warm. The butter enriches the spread and gives it a silky finish. Season with salt and pepper. Taste. Adjust.

6. 6

   Toast the bread

   Toast or grill the bread slices until golden and crisp on both sides. They should have structure to support the spread without becoming hard as stone. If using Tuscan bread without salt, you may rub the warm toasts with a cut clove of garlic. One pass is sufficient. Do not make garlic bread.

7. 7

   Assemble and serve

   Spread the liver mixture generously on each toast while both are still slightly warm. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately. Once assembled, crostini wait for no one. The bread softens, the spread cools, the moment passes.

Chef Tips

• •Vin santo is not optional. Dry Marsala is an acceptable substitute, but the floral sweetness of vin santo is what makes this Tuscan. Do not use cooking wine. Use wine you would drink.
• •The spread can be made smoother by pulsing briefly in a food processor, but hand-chopping produces superior texture. The slight coarseness is traditional and preferable.
• •Chicken livers oxidize quickly once spread on bread. Assemble crostini no more than 15 minutes before serving. The spread itself holds well.
• •Some Tuscan cooks add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the mixture. Others consider this heresy. I leave it to your conscience.

Advance Preparation

• •The liver spread can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated, covered. Bring to room temperature before serving, or warm gently. Cold spread does not spread.
• •Toast the bread just before assembling. Bread toasted ahead loses its crispness and serves no one well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 90g)