accordingly there is very little connective
tissue between the minute hexagonal columns
of cells. It’s a delicate organ that is best
briefly cooked; long cooking simply dries it
out. The characteristic flavor of liver has been
little investigated, but seems to depend
importantly on sulfur compounds (thiazoles
and thiazolines), and gets stronger with
prolonged cooking. Generally, both flavor and
texture coarsen with age. The occasionally
milky appearance of chicken livers is due to
an unusual but harmless accumulation of fat,
about double the amount in a normal red liver
(8% instead of 4%).
Foie Gras
Of the various animal innards that cooks have
put to good use, one deserves special mention,
because it is in a way the ultimate meat, the
epitome of animal flesh and its essential
appeal. Foie gras is the “fat liver” of force-