Chicken Hearts and Livers (Del va Jegar)

Del va Jegar is a Persian dish of Chicken hearts and livers. I came across it in my "Great Liver Recipe Search" across different cultural cuisines. I have never had chicken heart before, but they sell it at the Seward Co-op, so I felt inspired to give it a try. The little hearts are a a nice chewy texture that contrasts really nicely with the creaminess of the liver. I thought it turned out great - the flavor combo was like no other I have had before. It uses fresh and sun-dried tomatoes, saffron, garlic, and some cumin. Minimal spicing. There is not a specific recipe on the internet that I could find, but I did watch this lovely video of chef KShar. I recommend reading the comments, especially his responses: KShar seems to radiate love and joyfulness, which I find very enjoyable.

I modified the recipe to be paleo, which really meant using coconut flour in lieu of bread crumbs. I also estimated the amounts of ingredients I used (he does not give amounts) - but since I have never had this dish before, I have no way to know if my amounts are correct or not. Someday maybe I will get to have this dish and compare! It seems that many Iranian people traditionally make this with lamb liver and heart, which might be another interesting experiment.

Del va Jegar

You can't see the tomato slices, but they are under there!

1/2 lb. chicken hearts, cut in half
1/2 lb. chicken livers, cut in half
coconut flour (2-3 T)
1/4 c. fat
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (opt)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 c. chopped green onion
1/4 c. sundried tomatoes, chopped
pinch cumin
pinch saffron
1-2 tomatoes, cut in thick slices
Garnish: julienne green onion and cilantro
(or parsley in my case because it was in the garden!)

1. Put 2 T fat in a medium sized skillet or cast iron pan. Fry garlic on medium heat. After a few minutes, add red pepper flakes and onion. Saute several minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and saute another few minutes. Mixture should be fragrant and soft looking. Add hearts and continue cooking on medium, stirring occasionally.

Floured livers (left) and hearts (right)

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 T fat in a large cast iron skillet. While it is heating, roll or toss liver pieces in coconut flour to coat. Ideally this will be a light dusting. When fat is hot, lay liver peices on a single layer across the pan and turn the heat to medium/medium-high. You want to be careful not to overcook the liver, and you also want a nice browned sear. This will be about 3-4 minutes on each side. They will still be pink in the middle, and I always think, "they can't be done yet!" but they are. You want them creamy and soft, and the less you handle them the better.

3. Add spices to the heart mix: salt and pepper, cumin, and saffron and continue to stir.

4. When liver is done, remove it from the skillet and set on a warm plate. Keep the skillet heat on, and now layer the slices of tomato in the skillet to brown in the remaining coconut-flour-y fat. Sprinkle a bit more coconut flour on top, and flip them after a minute. The tomatoes should get a nice sear.

5. To serve: lay tomato slices on each plate. Cover with heart mixture (it should pile up a bit). Cover that with pieces of liver. Sprinkle with julienned green onion and cilantro and serve!