Chinese Braised Chicken Liver 卤鸡肝 ~ Teczcape-An Escape to Food

Vitamin B12. Check. Iron. Check. High Cholesterol? Awwwwww........Chicken Liver. I eat them.

Do you?

Many people enjoy chicken liver as chicken liver pate. For me, I enjoy the Chinese Braised Chicken Liver (卤鸡肝) that my friend makes. She cooks it for her growing kid and two of us ladies, also get to enjoy it the same time (Another kid-friendly recipe you might want to try: Chicken Liver with Tomato Noodle Soup). It has got the iron we need as well.

Some may consider Offal-type food to be high-cholesterol but it is not as if you are eating offals such as chicken liver everyday, so I personally think it is ok if it is the cholesterol you are worrying about. Further, of all the offals and to choose among poultry/meat livers - chicken liver is considered one of the better of offal to consume in terms of good quality nutrition content per serving.

Vitamin B12 (one of the most common Vitamin B deficiencies for most of us) is also known as cyanocobalamin or cobalamin. This vitamin is necessary for the central nervous system to function properly. It helps in the formation of red blood cells. It is also necessary for proper development and growth in children. It is only found in animal sources including: Meat, Liver, Kidney, Eggs, Milk and some Dairy Products.

Chinese Braised Chicken Liver (卤鸡肝)

Ingredients you need: Chicken liver (we got our Air Chilled Chicken Liver from Whole Foods), green onions, ginger, soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine, cloves, star anise.

Note: To rid the chicken liver of the gamey smell, use Chinese cooking wine. Chinese cooking wine must be one handy seasoning. We use them to rid the fishy smell in fish, and gamey smell in certain poultry/meat products). Marinate the chicken liver in the wine for about 10-15 mins, then drain away the wine.

Note1: And what is more obvious than using some or all of the Chinese Five-Spices typical of a Chinese braise. Cloves and Star Anise were used in this braise.

Tip: Gravy and sauce are not lacking in a braise typically. And what is cleverer than using the noodles that absorbs like a sponge? Glass noodles! Let them soak up the goodness!

If you are a vegetarian, how do you ensure your necessary intake of Iron and Vitamin B12? If you are not a vegetarian, what kind of food-class/ingredients do you go to when it comes to Iron and Vitamin B12?

First time my friend cooks this dish and so delicious.