Chicken Liver, Pancetta, and Rosemary Rumaki Recipe

Here’s a Tuscan twist on a cocktail party favorite. I admit that I was never a fan of rumaki—they were just a bit too pu-pu platter for me. But I was once challenged to make a special version for a catering client, and this is the savory result. One tip about serving: There are some very attractive skewers available, but they work best to impale cooked food, as they simply don’t hold up under high heat. Even soaked, they can scorch in the broiler. Have another batch of fresh, unsoaked skewers ready to re-spear the cooked rumaki before serving, just in case yours burn during cooking.

Makes 24 rumaki; 6 to 8 servings

Make Ahead: The rumaki can be prepared up to 8 hours before grilling; the vinegar reduction can be made up to 4 hours ahead.

Ingredients:
24 chicken livers (about 1 pound; see Note)
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Twelve 1⁄16-inch-thick slices pancetta
24 bamboo skewers or wooden toothpicks, soaked in cold water for 30 minutes and drained
1⁄3 cup balsamic vinegar

Preparation:
1. Trim the livers of any connective tissue or green spots, leaving as whole as possible. Mix together the wine, shallots, rosemary, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add the livers and mix gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 and up to 2 hours.

2. Drain the livers, leaving any shallots and rosemary clinging to them. Unroll each pancetta slice to make long strips; cut each in half crosswise to make 24 strips total. Wrap each liver with 1 pancetta strip; spear the pancetta through the liver with a soaked skewer to secure. (If preparing the rumaki ahead, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

3. Boil the vinegar in a small nonreactive saucepan over high heat until it is thick and reduced to 2 tablespoons. Set aside. (The vinegar reduction can be prepared and kept at room temperature up to 4 hours ahead. Reheat gently until fluid.)

4. Position a broiler rack about 4 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler. Arrange the rumaki on a lightly oiled broiler rack set over a drip pan. Just before serving, broil in batches until the pancetta is browned and the livers are slightly pink when pierced, about 4 minutes. Arrange on a serving platter and drizzle a few drops of balsamic reduction over each rumaki. Serve immediately.

Note: Chicken livers are often sold in 20 ounce containers. Buy the entire container to sort through and choose the plumpest livers; save the remaining livers for another use.

This recipe was published in 'Christmas 101 - p17'.