Ep 12. The French Chef: Chicken Livers a la Francaise

In season 1 episode 12 of The French Chef with Julia Child, titled "Chicken Livers a la Francaise," Julia teaches her audience how to prepare a sophisticated and classic French dish. Chicken livers are a staple in French cuisine, and in this episode, Julia showcases how easy it is to elevate this simple protein into a delicious and elegant meal.

Julia begins the episode by discussing the importance of properly cleaning and prepping the chicken livers. She emphasizes the importance of removing any excess fat and veins from the livers, as well as ensuring that they are properly rinsed and dried before cooking. Once the livers are prepared, Julia starts by sautéing them in butter and olive oil until they are nicely browned on the outside and still slightly pink on the inside.

To elevate the dish even further, Julia prepares a classic French sauce consisting of shallots, white wine, and chicken stock. She simmers the sauce until it reduces down and then adds a few tablespoons of heavy cream to give it a rich and velvety texture. Once the sauce is ready, she adds it to the pan of chicken livers and simmers everything together for a few minutes until the livers are fully cooked and the sauce has thickened.

As always, Julia provides numerous tips and tricks throughout the episode, such as adding lemon juice to the sauce to cut through the richness of the cream and using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan to add additional flavor to the sauce.

Throughout the episode, Julia's joy and passion for French cooking shines through, and her teaching style is both informative and entertaining. She emphasizes the importance of not being intimidated by French cuisine and encourages her audience to experiment and have fun in the kitchen.

Overall, "Chicken Livers a la Francaise" is a delicious and informative episode of The French Chef with Julia Child that showcases the beauty of classic French cooking. Julia's warmth and humor make this episode a true delight to watch, and the end result is a simple yet elegant dish that is sure to impress any dinner guests.