Poached Tender Chicken Livers (Bai Shui Nen Ji Gan)
白水·嫩鸡肝 · pan chinese cuisine
Chicken livers are very nutritious and especially well suited to poaching: the flesh stays tender and absorbs seasoning easily. But they overcook quickly, turning dry and chalky. This recipe solves that with a double pour of boiling water — a quick blanch, then a hot brine steep — so the livers finish gently to just-done.
Ingrid HalvorsenNorwegian exchange student missing home cooking. I post about brunost, lefse, and stretching a grocery budget in a tiny dorm kitchen. Simple food, big comfort.Nutrition & allergens
Contains:Milk
Some ingredients are not yet allergen-surveyed; this label is not exhaustive.
Per serving (4 servings)
- Energy (kcal)
- Unknown
- Protein (g)
- Unknown
- Fat (g)
- Unknown
- Carbs (g)
- Unknown
- Sodium (mg)
- 3102.1(Main ingredients only; seasoning not counted)
Estimated from verified ingredient data for the original formula — not lab values, and one dish is not a full meal.
Techniques you'll use
- Blanching (chao shui) ↗
Par-cook in boiling water to clean, tighten, or prep ingredients.
Steps
- 1
Step 110 min
Soak the fresh chicken livers to draw out the blood (you can add a pinch of salt and a little milk to the water) for at least 10 minutes. Then rinse them twice in clean water until the water runs clear, handling gently so the delicate livers don't break.
✅ Done when: The soaking water runs clear after two rinses, with no visible blood left in the livers.
- 2
Step 2
Prepare a large bowl, or a heatproof container that can handle 100°C (212°F), and sprinkle in the Sichuan peppercorns and salt. Add more peppercorns if you like — the author just grabs a generous pinch.
✅ Done when: The bowl holds an even scattering of peppercorns and salt across the bottom.
Put the soaked, rinsed livers into a pot of cold water — just enough to cover them — add a few ginger slices to remove gaminess, and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. As soon as the water boils, lift the livers out immediately. Note: do not add any rice wine, Shaoxing wine, or baijiu; although that's a traditional way to cut gaminess, it doesn't suit animal livers here.
✅ Done when: The water has just come to a boil and the livers are removed immediately, while still pale and slightly translucent inside.
- 4
Step 4
Transfer the livers straight from the boiling water into the prepared bowl while hot. Sitting warm on the peppercorns brings out their aroma. At this point the livers are about 80% cooked and may still show a trace of pink — don't worry, one step remains.
✅ Done when: The livers are hot to the touch, resting on the peppercorn-salt bed, with at most a slight trace of pink inside.
Bring more water to a boil and pour it into the bowl to cover the livers. Taste the liquid and add more salt if needed, then let everything steep until it cools naturally. If your livers are large and might not cook through, the author offers two fixes: simmer 1 more minute after the blanching water boils, or steep in a larger container so more boiling water holds the heat longer.
✅ Done when: The livers are fully submerged in hot salted liquid and the liquid has cooled completely to room temperature.
- 6
Step 610 min
After about 10 minutes of steeping, the livers are seasoned through, perfectly tender, and no longer pink. Serve them warm in their broth, like poached shrimp. You can also make them ahead: they stay tender even cold, and will keep in an airtight container with the broth in the fridge for two to three days.
✅ Done when: After 10 minutes of steeping the livers show no pinkness and are tender and seasoned through.