Tostadas de Higado de Pollo : World Spice Merchants

Tostadas de Higado de Pollo

What's that? Chicken Liver Toasts with Caramelized Onions, Mango and Watercress! That's right, the World Spice Cookbook Club "went" to Puerto Rico -- at least our tastebuds did. This is one of the delicious bites that was prepared for the July 2015 Meet & Eat featuring Cocina Tropical: The Classic & Contemporary Flavors of Puerto Rico by Jose Santaella. We were excited about this recipe because it looked delicious, and used annatto seed — a spice with which many people are unfamiliar. Annatto is frequently used in Latin American and Caribbean countries to impart a natural color and mild, earthy flavor to foods. If you think you've never had it, it's also what makes some butters yellow and cheddar cheese orange.

From the authors: Chopped chicken liver is one of those delicious recipes that is a bit of a throwback to the days of elegant cocktail hours and dinner parties with passed hors d'oeuvres. Pate and terrine are back in fashion, and this dish falls right into step with them. The richness of the velvety liver and the sweetness of the caramelized onions get a tangy tropical hit from the mango with a bit of peppery bite from the watercress garnish. Serve as is for a small plate appetizer or spread the liver on smaller crostini for a perfect party bite.

Ingredients

For the Annatto Oil:

1/4 cup

Annatto Seed

Annatto Seed

Used as the base for achiote paste, the hard, red annatto seed has an deep earthy flavor often found in Latin American dishes. You can infuse the seeds in oil to yield a flavorful oi...
1 cup vegetable or olive oil

For the Tostadas:

3 cups fresh chicken livers
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup light rum or brandy
2 tablespoons annatto oil
1/2 tablespoon dried

Oregano - Turkish

Oregano - Turkish

Turkish oregano is a classic, and no spice pantry should be without it. The aromatic profile enhances an array of dishes and cooks up nicely with bold flavors either alone or in comb...
1 clove garlic, mashed to a paste in a mortar
2 tablespoons butter
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
6 slices crusty bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
Diamond Crystal - Kosher Salt

Diamond Crystal - Kosher Salt

Diamond Crystal is our go-to all purpose kosher salt. Developed in 1886 using a special process which creates a unique, hollow, multi-faceted crystals, this all-purpose salt is free ...
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 bunch watercress

Preparation

For the Annatto Oil:

In a small saucepan, combine the annatto seeds and the oil and place over low heat. Bring the oil to a simmer, stirring the seeds around occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and allow them to cool for about 15 minutes before straining the oil through a sieve into a clean bowl or jar, discarding the seeds. Once cooked, the oil can be sealed and refrigerated for up to 3 months.

For the Tostadas:

In a large bowl, combine the livers, cream, rum, annatto oil, oregano, and garlic. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to marinate.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and onion in a saucepan over low heat and sauté until caramelized, about 4 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Toast the bread slices until golden brown and set aside.

Drain the chicken livers, reserving the marinade. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken livers and sauté until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a separate saucepan, bring the reserved marinade to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the liquid has thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Roughly chop the livers. Put the cream mixture in a blender and blend until creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Fold the cream mixture into the chopped livers.

Place some of the chopped liver mixture on each piece of toast and top with a spoonful of the caramelized onions. Place a few pieces of the mango on top of the caramelized onions and garnish with some watercress leaves.

Serve immediately.