500 grams (approx 1 lb) chicken livers
1 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
10 sage leaves, finely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
I tablespoon unsalted butter
2 or 3 anchovies, preferably the salted kind.
1/4 cup Vin Santo, or Amontillado sherry
1/4 cup dry, white wine
2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed and chopped
Sliced, country style bread, or baguette, cut diagonally.
A little chicken stock
Teaspoon of fine lemon zest

Carefully inspect the livers for any greenish parts and discard, along with the tougher tendons. Rinse and pat dry with kitchen towel. In a good, heavy-based pan, heat the oil and butter over a medium-low heat and gently sauté the parsley, sage, onion and garlic until soft but not brown. Add the anchovies and continue cooking, mashing them into the other ingredients in the pan. When the anchovies have completely “dissolved”, add the livers and slightly raise the heat. Brown the livers, turning them frequently until they are becoming firm but still pink inside.

Add the Vin Santo (or sherry) to the pan, raise the heat again, and cook until the liquid is reduced to a thick syrupy consistency and the livers are cooked through, but still slightly rosy in the centres. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with the lemon zest.

Now add the wine and continue cooking, mashing the livers roughly with a fork as they cook and until the liquid has been absorbed. You should have a rather thick, but still liquid paste, which will thicken further as it cools. Add a little stock or water if too dry. Stir in the chopped capers to the mixture and taste again for seasoning.

Brush one side of each piece of bread with olive oil and crisp on a baking tray in a hot oven or quickly toast on a cast iron grill until golden and crisp.

Serve livers immediately on the crostini as a warm appetizer, with some extra chopped parsley or fresh sage leaves as garnish and a grind of fresh black pepper. Or refrigerate liver mixture and serve at room temperature with hot toast for drinks later.