Liver Fried Rice
Aperçu
Liver fried rice is fried rice built around beef liver, and it belongs to the West African fried rice tradition rather than the Chinese one. Liver is a common and inexpensive protein across the region, and using it here gives a mineral depth that chicken or shrimp do not. The rice is where the technique sits. It is cooked in seasoned chicken stock rather than water, so it carries flavour before it is ever fried, then cooled completely, spread on a tray and refrigerated, or briefly frozen, before it goes into the pan. Cold rice is the single most important thing in any fried rice: fresh, warm rice releases steam and starch and turns to a sticky mass, while cold grains separate and fry. Liver is unforgiving in the other direction. Cooked correctly it is tender and almost creamy; cooked a minute too long it goes tough and dry, and there is no recovering it. It is cooked briefly in liquid and then fried, and it goes into the wok before the vegetables so it is not sitting over heat while everything else cooks. The dish is served with fried chicken, which is how the source presents it and which makes it a substantial meal rather than a side.
Note de Patrimoine AFN
Fried rice cooked in seasoned stock and finished with fried protein is a West African adaptation of the dish, distinct in method from Chinese fried rice.
Ingrédients
Les mentions alimentaires sont fournies par les contributeurs à titre indicatif. Elles ne sont pas vérifiées par AFN et dépendent des produits que vous achetez. En cas d’allergie grave, vérifiez vous-même chaque ingrédient. Cuisine, allergies et votre propre jugement
Préparation
- 1
Blend half an onion with the cloves, allspice, garlic and ginger.
- 2
Rinse the chicken and season it with half the blended mixture, a bouillon cube and salt.
- 3
Cut the liver into cubes and season with the other half of the mixture, a cube and salt.
- 4
Cover both and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
- 5
Add about half a litre of water to the chicken and cook for 30 minutes.
- 6
Add about a quarter litre of water to the liver and cook for 15 minutes.
- 7
Fry the chicken for 7 to 10 minutes until cooked through and dark golden brown.
- 8
Drain the fried chicken on paper towels.
- 9
Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear.
- 10
Add 1 1/2 cups of water to the chicken stock and bring to the boil.
- 11
Add the rice and cook over medium heat until fluffy. Fluff with a fork, lift the lid to let it cool, then spread it on a baking sheet and refrigerate for about an hour until completely cold. Fifteen to twenty minutes in the freezer also works.
- 12
Heat a large wok with 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the chopped liver first until slightly browned, then add the remaining onions.
- 13
After about 5 minutes, add the rest of the vegetables and fry until slightly browned but not burnt.
- 14
Push the mixture aside to clear a space, turn up the heat, add the cold rice and mix everything together.
- 15
Serve with the fried chicken.
Notes de l’Africook
- Use cold rice, not fresh. Warm rice steams and clumps; properly chilled rice separates and fries. This is the single biggest factor in whether fried rice works.
- Do not overcook the liver. Tender and almost creamy is the target, and a minute too long turns it tough and dry with no way back.
- Fry the liver first and briefly, before the vegetables, so it is not sitting over heat while everything else cooks.
- High heat is what makes fried rice. A cool pan gives you stirred rice rather than fried.
- Frozen mixed vegetables work perfectly well and are what the source uses. Fresh taste better but frozen do the job.
- Two teaspoons of soy sauce gives the brown colour if you want it; this recipe uses bouillon cubes instead.
Questions fréquentes
Why does the rice need to be cold?
Because warm rice is full of moisture and surface starch, which turns it sticky and makes it clump the moment it meets a hot pan. Cooling it completely, spread out and refrigerated for an hour or briefly frozen, dries the surface so the grains separate and fry rather than steam.
How do I stop the liver going tough?
Cook it briefly and take it off early. Liver goes from tender to dry in about a minute, and it continues cooking in residual heat. It is cooked for 15 minutes in liquid here and then only lightly browned in the wok. If in doubt, undercook it: it will finish in the pan with the rice.
Can I use something other than liver?
Yes. The source is explicit that precooked chicken, pork, beef or shrimp all work, and leftovers are ideal. Liver is what gives this version its particular mineral depth, but the method is the same whatever protein you use, and quinoa can even replace the rice.
What vegetables should I use?
Frozen mixed vegetables, carrots, peas, sweet corn and green beans, are what the source uses, with fresh onion and bell pepper added for sweetness. Cauliflower and broccoli also work. Chopped fruit such as pineapple is a common addition in West African fried rice and gives a sweeter result.
Avis
4 avis
boiled the chicken 30 mins as stated but my liver got a bit rubbery when frying after the marinate. chale maybe i cut the liver cubes too small or kept them in the canola oil too long? taste was really good oo especially with the cloves and sweet corn mix, but next time ill shorten the fry time for the liver.
Howzit Kofi! You definitely kept it in the oil too long, my bru. Liver turns rubbery in a flash if you overdo it. Keep your cubes to a solid 2cm size and flash-fry them for exactly 90 seconds in hot Sunfoil canola oil, no longer. Glad the flavor was still lekker with the cloves and sweet corn mix, I always throw a teaspoon of Aromat into mine just now at the end.
The allspice and clove mix for the marinading gives it a very deep aroma oo. My grandmother used to fry the beef liver separately with extra spring onions so it stays tender before tossing it with the jasmine rice. 80 minutes total cook time is accurate if you want that deep flavor from the chicken broth. Very tasty paa.
Abeg make sure you marinate that liver overnight o, four hours is too small if you want the garlic and ginger blend to enter inside the meat proper. Cooking the Jasmine rice straight inside that chicken broth made all the difference. E sweet no be small thing sha.