Fowl Play
Considered the poor man's foie gras, chicken livers have been getting the luxury treatment at Fire Food and Drink since chef and owner Douglas Katz put the organs on his menu 14 years ago. "We did it because people weren't really using them," he says. Now the Shaker Square staple serves so many each week for the dinner appetizer and brunch entree that Katz orders dozens beyond those naturally found in whole chickens. After each liver is cleaned and deveined, it's marinated in buttermilk for at least two hours. "The acid pulls out impurities and tenderizes them," Katz explains. Each one is then breaded in flour, cayenne pepper and salt, and fried at 340 degrees — resulting in a crispy golden nugget that's still a little pink inside. The weekend brunch version ($13) features five or six livers served with local mixed greens and a chunky, syrupy compote of sun-dried cherries soaked in wine, star anise and thyme. It's finished with house-made, tandoori-oven-baked maple bacon and a poached egg for an addictive morning meal. "If you started a Fire crispy chicken liver fan club, there'd be a thousand members for sure," Katz says. 13220 Shaker Square, Cleveland, 216-921-3473, firefoodanddrink.com
