Bacon-wrapped Chicken Livers

My version of rumaki which was allegedly first served at the Polynesian-themed Trader Vic’s. I don’t want to label my bacon-wrapped chicken livers as “authentic” rumaki though because there are no water chestnuts in them. I didn’t deep fry them either. The chicken livers were marinated in spiced soy sauce, wrapped in bacon and roasted in the oven.

The trick to making this hors d’oeuvre is to cook the bacon until crisp but allowing the livers to be barely cooked so that they are creamy rather than crumbly and still pink at the center. How that is accomplished requires two things:

1. The chicken livers should but cut to just the right size.

2. The bacon wrapping should not be so thick to allow the heat to permeate the liver well.

Bacon-wrapped Chicken Livers

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 18 to 24 bacon-wrapped chicken livers

Author: CASA Veneracion

Ingredients

• 6 chicken livers
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 6 to 9 bacon rashers
• sesame seeds (no need to toast)

Instructions

• Cut each chicken liver into three to four portions, depending on how large they are. The pieces, after cutting, should ideally be an inch to an inch-and-a-half cubes. Remove veins or sinews.
• Place the cut chicken livers in a bowl, add the soy sauce, ginger and brown sugar. Mix well. Cover and marinate in the fridge for an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Take the chicken livers out of the fridge. Drain. Reserve the marinade.
• Cut the bacon rashers into strips about an inch wide and four to six inches long.
• Place a piece of chicken liver on the long end of a strip of bacon. Roll the bacon to enclose the chicken liver. Secure with a toothpick.
• Place a rack over a baking tray (too bad I was in such a hurry that I omitted to first cover the tray with foil or non-stick paper to catch the drippings). Spray the rack with cooking oil.
• Arrange the bacon-wrapped chicken livers on the rack. Roast at 400F for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how large the liver pieces are and how thick the bacon rashers you used.
• Take the bacon-wrapped chicken livers out of the oven. Brush each piece with the reserved marinade. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Roast for another 10 to 12 minutes.
• If you prefer your chicken livers to be cooked all the way through with no pinkness at the center, continue roasting for another three to five minutes.