Chicken liver: useful properties and recipes for cooking

About the benefits or harms of by-products can be argued for a long time. Many liver lovers prefer to eat chicken liver, considering a similar product of large animals more heavy. Doctors together with nutritionists recommend introducing it into the diet, focusing on the enormous benefits and rich vitamin composition, but only to those who do not have strict contraindications to the use of liver.

Which one is healthier: chicken or beef liver

Both products are inexpensive and quick to prepare, so they are available to most people.

If we compare beef liver with chicken liver, the former loses in calories (only 100 kcal per 100 g). In addition, such a valuable substance as folic acid in the chicken byproduct is contained in greater quantities, which determines its nutritional value.

Beef liver contains more B vitamins and retinol, which is also important for maintaining a normal balance in the body. Also nutritionists note the fact that when using the liver of cows for a long period of time noticeably improves hematopoietic function, increases hemoglobin levels. The ability to strengthen the immune and nervous system is characteristic of the product, regardless of its origin.

Thus, it is impossible to say unequivocally which liver is more useful: chicken or beef. It most likely depends on individual preferences for the taste of the finished dish, as well as on the body's ability to easily digest a particular product.

Composition and calories

Chicken byproduct is an excellent source of protein, which also has a low cost. This is a treasure trove of trace elements such as iron, zinc, copper, manganese and chromium. Rare substances like cobalt and selenium are also present. Of the macronutrients a lot of phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium. This product allows you to replenish the body even with a meager diet, if the diet includes chicken liver. In addition, this product contains a huge set of vitamins, including nicotinic acid.

The caloric value of the chicken product, the energy yield of which is 137.7 kcal per 100 g of weight, allows you to get the most out of the meal without harming the figure.

What is useful for chicken liver

This product has a great nutritional value and can affect the normalization of many organs and tissues.

For women

Chicken liver can replace chicken breast in the diet of a thinning woman, because the protein content in these two products is almost identical. In addition, this product contains a large amount of folic acid, which is involved in many metabolic processes in a woman's body. So, there is a settlement of hematopoietic function, normalization of the psycho-emotional state, maintenance and stimulation of the reproductive and cardiovascular systems.

Also chicken liver is useful for women because its components have a beneficial effect on hair, nails and skin, and also take part in the normalization of the thyroid gland. This prevents the consequences of hormonal imbalances in women's bodies.

For men

The male body also needs quality support from food. Besides the fact that with chicken liver a man can get the necessary amount of protein, at the same time he can clean the walls of blood vessels, adjust the digestive system to work properly, as well as reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. While men often try to avoid by-product dishes, properly cooked chicken liver will leave no gentleman hungry.

When pregnant

Since a woman has additional energy losses while carrying a fetus, and also needs reliable sources of protein, vitamins and nutrients, chicken liver can serve as a great solution in the diet. In addition, we should not forget about the function of stimulating hematopoiesis, which the components of the product play in the body, which is extremely important for the normal development of the fetus.

When breastfeeding

Although chicken liver belongs to the category of dietary products, it should be carefully introduced in the diet during lactation. You should also refrain from eating fried liver, and give preference to a cooked or stewed version of cooking. In this case, a dish of chicken liver will benefit not only the mother, but also the baby, which she feeds with her milk.

For kids

Children from 8 months begin to introduce meat products to complementary foods. Often in the recommendations you can find liver, but it should be given to the baby as late as possible, and the consistency should be made as gentle as possible.

For the growing body, the whole set of vitamins and minerals contained in liver is useful. In addition, increased immunity and improved hematopoietic function is a great bonus from a healthy protein meal.

Is it possible to eat chicken liver while losing weight

There are known diets in which it is recommended to eat chicken liver in large quantities in combination with vegetables and cereals. Usually such a diet is calculated for several days.

In addition, many beauties lose weight just on liver dishes - soups or salads. You can also enter this product in the dietary diet and prepare a variety of delicious and healthy dishes.

Nutritionists do not recommend abusing liver dishes, and limit yourself to only one meal involving chicken liver per day. It is better if the product is prepared by boiling or stewing. In parallel, it is recommended to consume dairy products, vegetables and fruits, rice and fish.

Chicken liver in medicine

The unique nutritional composition of the chicken product accounts for the high interest in it on the part of medics. It is known that regular consumption of liver is only for the benefit of a healthy person. But there are conditions in which the use of liver dishes should be limited or avoided altogether.

When diabetics.

Chicken liver is a unique component of dietary nutrition, often used for the prevention of various diseases, as well as to alleviate their course. In diabetes, liver dishes - just a godsend, because, despite the low calorie and carbohydrate content, they contain many vitamins and such important components for diabetics, such as iron and copper.

Due to the fact that the nutrient components of liver are in it in an activated state, they are absorbed with great speed. The undeniable benefits of the product are important for people with diabetes as well as for healthy people.

However, for diabetics, it is important to learn how to cook liver properly to avoid dryness of the finished dish. Also, when preparing multi-component dishes, you should carefully select the products, so as not to accidentally add the prohibited in such an illness.

Important: The glycemic index of chicken liver is 0 units.

In pancreatitis.

It is necessary to choose the diet with caution, this also applies to dishes from by-products. There is no categorical ban on liver, but it is necessary to compare the possible harm and benefit of eating the product, as well as to use the maximum non-aggressive methods of heat treatment.

In case of gastritis

In this disease, liver is not a prohibited product, on the contrary, it is recommended to include it in the menu. However, the byproduct can do both good and harm, so you should be thorough in the way of cooking liver so as not to complicate the process of digestion.

For constipation

Medicine knows the ability of chicken liver to stimulate intestinal peristalsis and normalize the digestive system. In addition, the ability of liver to influence the hematopoietic function of the body is manifested in the fact that when it is consumed, there is an improvement in the blood supply to the organs, which is essential for digestion in different parts of the intestine. Therefore, liver in constipation can be consumed, paying attention to the method of preparation. A too fatty dish will have a negative effect on the peristalsis of the intestines.

With gout

In this disease, liver, as well as other by-products and meat, is prohibited. Since at gout the diet plays an important role in the general state of the body and the course of the disease, it is not worth neglecting the ban.

In cholecystitis

A diet for this disease involves avoiding fried and fatty foods. If you want to eat a dish of chicken liver, it is better to eat it in boiled or stewed form. At the same time, in the process of cooking from the classic recipes you should exclude oil.

Harms and contraindications

As with any product, there are a number of contraindications for liver, in which you should refuse to eat it. These include:

1. Acute forms of renal failure.
2. Tendency to poorly absorb chicken protein or complete intolerance to it.
3. Individual intolerance, allergies.
4. Increased levels of cholesterol in the blood.
5. Acute diseases of the digestive and excretory system, such as ulcers or kidney failure.

There is also a categorical ban on the use of stale, spoiled or with obvious external defects of the product.

How to choose and store chicken liver

Careful selection of the product will allow you to prepare a healthy, nutritious dish without risk to health, so the process of selecting a quality and fresh by-product should be taken with great care.

Ideal liver is devoid of any inclusions, has a smooth surface with a slight glow, as well as a burgundy-brown color throughout its area. In addition, the presence of blood clots or blood vessels of large size should alert - it is better to refuse such a product.

Signs of low-quality product are:

• friability;
• Heterogeneity and the presence of specks;
• Clots and large vessels;
• Fatty areas, which are indicative of poor refinement.

And, also the greenish color of the product - means that at the stage of cutting and packing the product got traces of enzyme, which came from the burst gallbladder.

If the liver was overfrozen, this will be indicated by a pale orange color of the by-product.

Multiple attempts to defrost and freeze the liver will tell about its consistency - if it is loose and crumbles into pieces, then the process has been repeated many times.

To make a healthy dish, it is better to take chilled or fresh liver, and if there was a need to defrost, it should be done first in the refrigerator.

The most delicate taste differs in the product from domestic chicken, so high-quality healthy liver can be purchased at the farmer's market.

After purchase, the fresh byproduct can be stored for no more than two days on a medium shelf. At room temperature, chicken liver can last no more than 12 hours, after which it should be cooked or not used in the future at all.

Can it be frozen

Chicken byproducts can be frozen, but it is better to do it once, as repeated freezing has a negative impact on the quality of the product. At a temperature of about minus 10 degrees it will retain its useful properties for several months. And if you put it into deep freezing at -25 degrees, the shelf life can be extended up to ten months.

As already mentioned, repeated freezing causes the liver to go bad. In addition to the fact that the product can be covered with dark spots and mucus can protrude on it, its use can lead to food poisoning.

How to defrost chicken liver quickly

To defrost quickly without compromising the vitamin content of the liver, you can use the medium microwave mode (with a wavelength of about 300) for 7-10 minutes. The most gentle defrosting is obtained at room temperature. But this process is quite long. If you need to speed it up, you can hold the product under a stream of slightly warm water. The simultaneous breaking the liver into pieces can also help.

What you can make from chicken liver: recipes

Properly cooked by-product is able to retain the maximum nutrients and vitamins, and quickly enough absorbed by the body. To do this, it is necessary to adhere to the rule of short-term heat treatment.

After 10 minutes of frying liver begins to lose some of its vitamins and trace elements, so a long processing is suitable only for stews. In addition, an optimal combination with fats can be achieved by using olive oil as vegetable oil.

Also, flavor enhancers and seasonings with a rich chemical composition should be avoided during cooking. Fresh herbs, garlic, and vegetables are preferable. To preserve the protein structure during long cooking you can add some dairy product. Milk, sour cream, cream or yogurt will preserve the protein component of the product until serving.

Salad

Useful and tasty salad, which can be used in the dietary diet during weight loss, contains, in addition to chicken liver (about 200 grams), leeks, cabbage (300 grams), red bell pepper. Shred all the components, cut the liver into cubes. Use soy sauce as dressing and decorate with greens.

Cake

Liver cake is loved even by those who do not complain about the dishes from by-products. This incredibly delicious dish is not difficult to prepare, but troublesome. You'll have to fuss with the cake crusts.

To prepare the chicken liver cake you will need:

• liver - 600 grams;
• 5 eggs - 3 raw for the dough and 2 boiled for decoration;
• Carrots - 3 pieces, of which one is left for decoration;
• 2 tablespoons thick sour cream
• mayonnaise - about 250 grams;
• flour - a half cup;
• herbs;
• garlic - a few cloves
• vegetable oil for frying.

How to cook:

1. Rinse the offal thoroughly under running water, get rid of foils and veins. It is necessary to carefully review the product for the presence of gallbladder residues. They usually have a greenish color and can spoil the taste of the finished dish due to its bitterness.
2. Combine clean liver with eggs, sour cream and flour. Whip the whole mixture with a blender until homogeneous and salt.
3. Bake the cakes in a frying pan greased with a little oil just before frying the first pancake.
4. Pour the dough onto the pan in the form of a pancake of small thickness (about 3 mm), distributing it evenly over the whole surface in circular motions.
5. Fry the pancakes on low heat, readiness to flip them can be determined by the edges falling off the pan. This will happen after 1 to 2 minutes. Gently use a spatula to flip the pancake over and fry on the raw side for another minute. If the pancake is torn during flipping, do not worry - during the assembly of the cake defects are successfully masked.
6. Separately, you need to simmer the pre-chopped carrots and onions with the addition of salt and pepper. The ready vegetable mass, stewed for 10 minutes, cool. It will be used as a layer between pancakes.
7. Sauce for coating the liver cake is prepared as follows: press garlic into a container with mayonnaise, stir the mixture well.
8. Next, lay the pancakes on a large dish. Each layer is smeared with garlic-mayonnaise sauce and covered with fried onions and carrots.
9. For decoration, chop 2 boiled eggs and 1 boiled carrot. Sprinkle the mixture alternately on the top layer. As a final chord the cake can be decorated with a sprig of greenery.

Serve to the table chilled.

Cutlets

To prepare the cutlets, take the chicken liver, rinse it thoroughly under running water and scald it with boiling water. The last manipulation will get rid of possible bitterness, and the dish will be very tender.

Grind the liver with a blender or meat grinder. The stuffing has a liquid consistency, so you should add an egg and a small amount of flour. Fry liver cutlets like pancakes. However, in the process of cooking, keep in mind that liver cooks quickly, so you need to remove the patties from the fire and turn them in time to avoid dryness.

If desired, you can add onions, carrots, herbs and any spices to the mince. It is also recommended to use breadcrumbs for breading to make it viscous.

Soup

This recipe is actively used by those who sit on a diet to lose weight. A delicious and healthy dish is prepared as follows: boil about 400 grams of chicken liver, then take a separate broth, add to it chopped potatoes, onions and carrots, as well as bell peppers as desired. Cook for up to 10 minutes. In the finished dish, add cooked beans prepared in advance, a spoonful of tomato paste and finely chopped liver. You can put the liver in each plate separately and then pour the broth over it.

Fritters

You will need:

• 500 g liver;
• 1 egg (chicken);
• 1 onion (onions);
• Vegetable oil to taste;
• 2 tablespoons flour (wheat);
• ground black pepper - as desired;
• salt - to taste.

How to cook:

1. Mix the twisted liver, onion, beat in the resulting mass of the egg and add flour, whip all together with a blender.
2. Oil a frying pan heated on the stove. The main thing is not to overdo it, so that fritters won't get greasy.
3. Pour the mixture in portions. Fry for about a minute (time per side).
4. Finished pancakes garnish with finely chopped greens.

Beef Stroganoff

To prepare this exquisite dish, you will need a little less than a kilogram of liver, two onions, about half a cup of sour cream, 0.5 liters of pure water, butter, previously melted (2 tablespoons), 2.5 tablespoons of flour, a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt, as well as spices to taste.

How to cook:

1. You need to pre-slow sliced onion in a pan, then add to it the liver, cut into pieces. Add spices and mix.
2. Then put flour on top and mix thoroughly. Fry until the liver is cooked, stirring occasionally.
3. It is necessary to prepare separately dressing by mixing sour cream with water.
4. Pour the dressing over the liver, bring to the boil and add the seasonings. After boiling, simmer for 10 minutes more.

Pâté

Home cooks have long been fond of the recipe for cooking chicken liver pâté and derived a few key rules that will help to get a tasty and healthy dish:

1. Chicken liver needs to be prepared - after washing and removing the fat layers and ducts, it should be finely chopped.
2. Vegetables for the pâté need to be cleaned, chopped and stewed beforehand.
3. To prepare the pate need boiled, fried or stewed liver.

To prepare a dish according to the classic recipe, you will need the following components: one piece of onion and carrot, butter and vegetable oil, your favorite spices and chicken liver in an amount of at least 0.5 kilograms. If desired, the amount and composition of vegetables can be changed at your discretion. Many housewives also add cream or milk. Spices for the pâté can be simple (for example, bay leaf, salt, pepper), or more specific - all to the taste of the household.

Before combining the ingredients into a delicate pâté, you should first stew the vegetables, and the seasonings are added during the stewing. The liver can be cooked separately. If it is boiled, this process should take enough time to reach the state of readiness. If the chopped liver is stewed together with vegetables and spices, the process should take at least half an hour.

When all the components are ready, they are blended with a blender. Should turn out a delicate mashed mass. If the pâté turns out a little dry, you can add a little milk to it. It is important not to go overboard with the amount, so that the finished pate in the future did not flow.

How to stew

Very tender dishes turn out with stewed chicken liver. To get it, you need to put pre-washed and cut into pieces the subproduct on a hot frying pan with a drop of vegetable oil. Then pour water on the liver so that it covers the product completely, cover and stew until tender. You can add vegetables during cooking. For example, it is better to fry onions or carrots before adding the liver, and other vegetables such as green peas, zucchini can be added at the same time.

How to boil

Boiled liver is cooked quite quickly. You first need to boil water, and then put the liver in it. The boiling process takes about 15 minutes. You can check the readiness with a knife - if colorless juice emerges when piercing, then the dish is ready.

How to fry

The frying process often results in a dry liver dish. To avoid this, the product should be rinsed well, and then hold in milk for about 20 minutes. This will give tenderness to the finished dish and will preserve the structure of the protein, despite the aggressive cooking conditions. Fry in a pan with onion and butter.

How to cook chicken liver in sour cream

The recipe is the same as for frying, but after the liver has changed color from red to brown, you need to salt the dish and add pepper, pour the sour cream and stew for a few more minutes.

How to cook gravy from chicken liver

To prepare fragrant liver gravy will need the subproduct itself, any vegetables as desired (onions, carrots, peppers), spices, herbs and oil for frying. Also an important component of gravy is tomato paste, which should be taken at the rate of one tablespoon for every 300 grams of liver.

After frying the liver with other ingredients, you should add the tomato paste and stew for a couple more minutes.

Why is chicken liver bitter

For liver, a bitter taste - a phenomenon in the normal range. But excessive bitterness should alert - the subproduct is likely to go bad.

The beauty of the chicken product is that a little bitterness can be easily washed away under running water.

Do I have to soak it?

Chicken liver is quite delicate and does not need soaking beforehand. If it is to be fried, it is worth soaking the liver in any fermented dairy product. This will preserve the protein structure under the influence of high temperatures.

How to peel

Subproducts, including chicken, need to be thoroughly cleaned. Therefore, you should not neglect this stage before cooking - it is better to get rid of films and veins.

The white film from chicken liver is removed with difficulty, so it should be pre-cooked with boiling water. If it did not help, you need to scald the product again, the separation will happen much faster. You can also drop the liver into a pan of hot water and hold it for a few minutes.

For quick removal of the film, it should be slightly trimmed at one end. After that, remove it at an angle in an upward direction, while striving to remove all the film at once.

Can we give chicken liver to pets?

Chicken liver is just as useful for pets as it is for humans. For cats, it serves as a great way to fill their diet with the right amount of nutrients. Still, it is worth avoiding the daily consumption of liver by the cat, as it can lead to an excessive accumulation of retinol, which, in turn, causes malfunctions in the animal's digestive system.

Cats with problems with gastric juice production should not be given liver, especially in the acute phase of the disease.

In addition, it is necessary to give animals only fresh, strictly quality-controlled sub-product.

Photo of chicken liver