Fried Chicken Liver, Bacon, and Tomato Salad with Ranch Dressing
Recipe from Food & Wine

This carnivore's salad is filled with bold ingredients like bacon and pickled onion, but the star ingredient is chicken livers. Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo soak the livers in buttermilk and coat them in flour, then repeat the process for extra-crispy results. "I'm into livers of all kinds now," says Dotolo, "especially duck and lamb."


Fried Chicken Liver, Bacon, and Tomato Salad with Ranch Dressing
Anna Williams

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Servings: 6
Prep Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr
Related Categories: Bacon, Celery, Chicken, Salad, Tomatoes, Vegetables
 
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Ingredients
PICKLED RED ONION
  • 1 
    small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
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  • 1/2  cup
    red wine vinegar
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  • 2  tablespoons
    sugar
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RANCH DRESSING
  • 1/4  cup
    sour cream
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  • 1/4  cup
    mayonnaise
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  • 1 1/2  tablespoons
    buttermilk
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  • 1 1/4  teaspoons
    freshly squeezed lemon juice
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  • 3/4  teaspoon
    hot sauce
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  • 1/2  teaspoon
    Dijon mustard
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  • 1/2  teaspoon
    red wine vinegar
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  • 1/4  teaspoon
    Worcestershire sauce
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  • 1 
    small garlic clove, minced
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  • 1/2  teaspoon
    garlic clove, minced
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  • 1/2  teaspoon
    chopped parsley
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  • 1/2  teaspoon
    snipped chives
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  •  
    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
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SALAD
  • 6 
    slices of thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon (6 ounces)
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  • 3  cups
    self-rising flour (see Note)
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  • 1  tablespoon
    garlic powder
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  • 2 1/2  teaspoons
    cayenne pepper
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  • 2  teaspoons
    onion powder
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  • 1  teaspoon
    smoked paprika
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  •  
    Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
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  • 1  pound
    chicken livers, trimmed and rinsed
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  • 2 1/2  cups
    buttermilk
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  •  
    Vegetable oil, for frying
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  • 3/4  pound
    heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
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  • 1/2  cup
    whole flat-leaf parsley leaves
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  • 4 
    tender celery ribs, thinly sliced on the bias, leaves reserved
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Directions
1.
MAKE THE PICKLED RED ONION: Put the sliced red onion in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the red wine vinegar with the sugar over moderately high heat until just beginning to simmer and the sugar is dissolved. Pour the hot vinegar over the sliced red onion and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons of the onion pickling liquid.
2.
MEANWHILE, MAKE THE RANCH DRESSING: In a medium bowl, whisk all of the dressing ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.
3.
ASSEMBLE THE SALAD: In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 10 minutes; drain on paper towels. Cut each piece of bacon in half.
4.
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder, smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper.
5.
In a medium bowl, soak the chicken livers in 1 cup of the buttermilk for 10 minutes, then drain. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk to the bowl. Dredge the chicken livers in the seasoned flour until coated, then redip the chicken livers in the buttermilk and dredge again in the flour to double-coat.
6.
In a large, deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil to 325 degrees. Fry the livers until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Drain the chicken livers on paper towels and immediately season with salt.
7.
In a bowl, toss the tomatoes, parsley and celery ribs and leaves. Add the pickled onion and the reserved 1 1/2 teaspoons of pickling liquid. Spoon the ranch dressing onto plates. Top with the tomato salad, chicken livers, and bacon and serve at once.

NOTE
You can buy self-rising flour or make it yourself: Combine 3 cups of all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
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