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Liver is the food that we love to talk about but more than often hate to eat. This recipe will turn liver haters into converts. Promise!
It's my healthy take on the more traditional Shepherd's Pie. Imagine soft and tender chicken livers cooked in earthy mushroom gravy and topped with creamy mashed cauliflower and cheddar topping.
Why eat liver you may wonder? Liver is one of the most nutrient dense foods. They are extremely high in vitamin A (retinol), B12 and copper. It's also a great source of zinc which is immune boosting and essential for fertility.
How To Make Livers Taste Great
I used chicken livers which are mild tasting and best for those who are new to livers and offal. Also, cooking livers in my rich and creamy keto gravy will make them taste extra delicious.
If you're planning to use other livers such as beef, veal, lamb or pork, I suggest you soak them first in lemon water for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Simply place the sliced chicken livers into a bowl filled with filtered water and the 1 tablespoon of vinegar or 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. This will remove the strong scent and will help achieve a smooth taste. When ready to cook, drain the livers and pat dry with a paper towel. Depending on the type of livers and your preference, cook for 3 to 6 minutes, turning once to ensure even cooking.
How Many Carbs in Liver?
Finally, unlike most organ meats, liver is not zero carb. This makes sense, since an animal's liver stores glucose (sugar), just as like a human's does. Although chicken liver and turkey liver contain less than 1 gram of carb per serving, many other types of liver have more than twice that amount.
Hands-on Overall
Serving size about 300 g/ 10.6 oz
Nutritional values (per serving, about 300 g/ 10.6 oz)
Net carbs9.6 grams
Protein21.1 grams
Fat33.8 grams
Calories432 kcal
Calories from carbs 9%, protein 20%, fat 71%
Total carbs13.1 gramsFiber3.5 gramsSugars4.4 gramsSaturated fat19.1 gramsSodium1,168 mg(51% RDA)Magnesium88 mg(22% RDA)Potassium954 mg(48% EMR)
Ingredients (makes 6 servings)
Keto Gravy:
- 1/2 cup dried Porcini mushrooms (15 g/ 0.5 oz)
- 1/2 cup boiling water to soak the mushrooms (60 ml/ 2 fl oz)
- 1 medium white onion, chopped (110 g/ 3.9 oz)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp chopped sage and/or rosemary or herbs of choice
- 2 tbsp ghee or duck fat (30 g/ 1.1 oz)
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce or balsamic vinegar (15 ml)
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice (30 ml)
- 2 cups bone broth or chicken stock (480 ml/ 16 fl oz) - you can make your own bone broth
- sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
Shepherd's Pie:
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets (800 g/ 1.76 lb)
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, divided (142 g/ 5 oz)
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 500 g chicken livers, sliced (1.1 lb)
- 150 g brown mushrooms, sliced (150 g/ 5.3 oz)
- 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (57 g/ 2 oz)
- Optional: fresh parsley or chives, to serve
Instructions
- To make the Keto Gravy, add boiling water to the porcini mushrooms and soak for 30 minutes.
- Add chopped onion into a hot pan greased with ghee and cook over a medium heat until translucent. Add minced garlic and chopped herbs and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the bone broth, lemon juice, soaked porcini mushrooms including the soaking liquid, Worcestershire sauce (or balsamic vinegar) and mustard. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Take off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Place pack on the stove and cook on a medium heat until it's reduced to 1 1/2 to 2 cups (360 to 480 ml).
- Make the cauliflower mash. Cut the cauliflower into florets. Place cauliflower in a steamer basket over a pot filled with 1-2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes. Do not overcook. Remove the lid and let the steam escape.
- Transfer the cauliflower into a blender and add about 85 (3 oz) of the butter, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Set aside.
- Cut the livers into chunks and cut out any tough parts. Slice the mushrooms.
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C/ 400 °F (fan assisted), or 220 °C/ 425 °F (conventional). Grease a skillet with half of the remaining butter and heat over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken livers and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Take off the heat and transfer all of the content to a deep pie dish (I used a 20 cm/ 8 inch pie dish).
- Clean the skillet with a clean paper towel. Grease with the remaining butter and add the mushrooms. Cook on medium-high for about 5 minutes, and then add the prepared Keto Gravy. Bring to a boil and cook on medium for another 5 minutes.
- Pour the mushrooms and gravy over the cooked chicken livers and stir to combine.
- Top with the prepared cauliflower mash.
- Finally, sprinkle the grated cheese all over.
- Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese has melted and browned.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down for a few minutes before serving. The pie can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Ingredient nutritional breakdown (per serving, about 300 g/ 10.6 oz)
| Net carbs | Protein | Fat | Calories |
|---|
| Mushrooms, wild, Porcini, dried |
| 1.6 g | 0.2 g | 0 g | 7 kcal |
| Water, still |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Onion, brown (yellow), raw |
| 1.2 g | 0.2 g | 0 g | 7 kcal |
| Garlic, fresh |
| 0.3 g | 0.1 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Sage, fresh |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Rosemary, fresh |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Ghee, clarified butter |
| 0 g | 0 g | 5 g | 45 kcal |
| Worcestershire sauce |
| 0.6 g | 0 g | 0 g | 2 kcal |
| Dijon mustard |
| 0 g | 0.1 g | 0.1 g | 2 kcal |
| Lemon juice, fresh |
| 0.3 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Keto bone broth |
| 0.2 g | 1.2 g | 2 g | 24 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Pepper, black, spices |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Cauliflower, fresh |
| 3.5 g | 2.2 g | 0.3 g | 29 kcal |
| Butter, unsalted, grass-fed |
| 0 g | 0.2 g | 19.1 g | 169 kcal |
| Salt, sea salt |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Pepper, black, spices |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Liver (chicken), raw |
| 0.6 g | 14.1 g | 4 g | 99 kcal |
| Mushrooms (brown), fresh |
| 0.9 g | 0.6 g | 0 g | 6 kcal |
| Cheddar cheese |
| 0.3 g | 2.2 g | 3.1 g | 38 kcal |
| Total per serving, about 300 g/ 10.6 oz |
| 9.6 g | 21.1 g | 33.8 g | 432 kcal |
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