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Chicken liver hummus

chappie

By chappie
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chappie

chappie

Posted
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At dinner last night a friend told me about a dish he had a party (hosted by a local chef and restaurateur). Basically the same method and ingredients of hummus, except instead of chickpeas for a base, it used (I imagine grilled?) chicken livers. He said he it was so good he "would have slathered it on a someone's sock and eaten it." Better than pate, apparently.

Has anyone ever heard of this or anything like it? I must learn more, because this needs some research.

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John S.

John S.

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Posted
At dinner last night a friend told me about a dish he had a party (hosted by a local chef and restaurateur). Basically the same method and ingredients of hummus, except instead of chickpeas for a base, it used (I imagine grilled?) chicken livers. He said he it was so good he "would have slathered it on a someone's sock and eaten it." Better than pate, apparently.

Has anyone ever heard of this or anything like it? I must learn more, because this needs some research.

All this is great but does not go to Chappie's query whether anyone has seen a hummus with livers instead of garbanzo beans... Livers, tahini, lemon juice and garlic. I never have seen it. I'm trying to imagine the flavor... Ok now I'm trying to imagine something else...

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Smithy

Smithy

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I'm not so sure that would be bad. I recently had a dish of grilled livers (chicken, lamb, and possibly beef) tossed with garlic, lemon sauce and some seasonings I've forgotten. There may have been tahina in there as well. (I can't remember for certain.) It didn't have the hummus-like texture described above, but I could imagine mashing it and using it as a spread. The flavors were excellent.

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
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chef koo

chef koo

Posted
Posted (edited)
At dinner last night a friend told me about a dish he had a party (hosted by a local chef and restaurateur). Basically the same method and ingredients of hummus, except instead of chickpeas for a base, it used (I imagine grilled?) chicken livers. He said he it was so good he "would have slathered it on a someone's sock and eaten it." Better than pate, apparently.

Has anyone ever heard of this or anything like it? I must learn more, because this needs some research.

All this is great but does not go to Chappie's query whether anyone has seen a hummus with livers instead of garbanzo beans... Livers, tahini, lemon juice and garlic. I never have seen it. I'm trying to imagine the flavor... Ok now I'm trying to imagine something else...

doesn't "sounds like a liver mousse to me" count?

Edited by chef koo (log)

bork bork bork

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John S.

John S.

Posted
Posted
At dinner last night a friend told me about a dish he had a party (hosted by a local chef and restaurateur). Basically the same method and ingredients of hummus, except instead of chickpeas for a base, it used (I imagine grilled?) chicken livers. He said he it was so good he "would have slathered it on a someone's sock and eaten it." Better than pate, apparently.

Has anyone ever heard of this or anything like it? I must learn more, because this needs some research.

All this is great but does not go to Chappie's query whether anyone has seen a hummus with livers instead of garbanzo beans... Livers, tahini, lemon juice and garlic. I never have seen it. I'm trying to imagine the flavor... Ok now I'm trying to imagine something else...

doesn't "sounds like a liver mousse to me" count?

Of course it does. Sorry for the oversight. Maybe I was thinking "liver mousse truffle pate" which I see at the deli. It just doesn't remind me of what The Chap's talking about. But yeah, you could call it that!

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  • 13 years later...
chappie

chappie

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Got to thinking about this again. I've been on a real hummus kick lately, often serving it warm on pita with meat and hot sauces and arugula and other things. But still wondering about a puree in which the livers play the role of chickpeas along with tahini, lemon, olive oil, garlic, parley and such. I know, I should just try it after all these years ...

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Katie Meadow

Katie Meadow

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None of this sounds terribly appetizing I have to say. And as for calling it hummus, well, I may be totally off base, but my feeling is that if the spread doesn't include chickpeas it probably shouldn't be called hummus. You could call it Chicken Livers with Tahini I suppose. There are plenty of hummus dishes that incorporate a third flavor, but they typically still include mashed chickpeas as a primary ingredient. Babaganouj subs eggplant for the chickpeas, but it isn't called Eggplant Hummus. 

 

Personally if I were going to a party I would a lot happier with two spreads: one a classic hummus and the other a chicken liver pate of some type. A martini with an olive works well with both, right? And you don't want to confuse your vegetarian friends who expect hummus to be made with olive oil.....not schmaltz. Just me! 

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shain

shain

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Just throwing in some etymology. Hummus is the Arabic name for chickpeas. It was also borrowed in Hebrew (the proper Hebrew name is khimtza). The proper name of the dish is "hummus bi altakhina" lit. "chickpeas with tahini", but everyone just calls it hummus. So by this logic you can name your dish "kabda bi altakhina" - liver with tahini. 

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~ Shai N.

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  • 2 months later...
Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

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We should note that in our present foodie world of "this" prepared like "that",  I see Middle East seasoned spreadables called "hummus" frequently.    White bean hummus.   Carrot hummus.   Beet hummus. 

 

Chefs and caterers are constantly scratching for catch phrases that will help sell product.   Of course it is unsettling.   To some, off-putting.   But all part of food merchandising, whether restaurant or cookbook author.     Consider many of the original signature dishes at French Laundry.   

 

Chicken liver mousse seasoned with tahini et al.   Sounds a little rich.   With cumin, parsley and garlic, well, perhaps.  

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eGullet member #80.

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