It's chicken liver in French, Chabd Dyay in Emirati dialect and Sowda in Lebanese. Simply, I just love it. I adore its dark black color, its taste and the many different ways people cook it. It can be a simple sandwich I would have for lunch, or a platter as a main course for dinner, or combined as an appetizer and well, it is a good breakfast and a welcoming gesture for visitors. It might sound very weird to you, to really enjoy such a thing at different times of the day. But, truth be told, it depends on how its been cooked, the spices used and the country where you've had it.
Not everybody can fix it properly. It needs attention, not to over cook it and not to keep it raw. It needs the right temperature to be cooked at and patience. And it is definitely very hard to judge, since it is prepared in different ways.
Normally, you'd eat such a thing at a Lebanese restaurant, but every time I pass by one of those and have a le foie de poulet sandwich, I end up eating it because I'm hungry not because it really tastes good.
The only few times, I really had it and enjoyed it, were 1: at a friend's house who's an expert in making them as well as 6a3meyah which is falafel. *I should be having a review about her*. She doesn't over spice it, it is just salt and pepper + veggies which are onion and garlic. However, they are the best I've ever had. I mean home made. Well, even better than the cooked at my home.
Ne ways, in Lebanon, it is something else. It is grilled and it is amazing. Amazing is actually an understatement. Never have I had it grilled this way and its well grilled. I think I had it 3 days in a row there. lol. Sowda, the Lebanese one is the best and most healthy option of all.
But, how about if it comes spicy in a creamy kinda stew. Well, your best choice is to eat at Nandos. Shame we done have it in Abu Dhabi, but what the heck, Dubai is just a 45 mins drive. It come served with a hot crusty bun. It is satisfying enough and tasty.
At home, we normally have it with bread or in puff pastry. We normally prepare it with little sauce, sometimes we add tomatoes and paprikas along with onion and garlic. But let me tell you, your best option is to find a good Lebanese recipe in order to fix it at home. Grilled all the way.
On some occasions, probably on Eid, we normally have it grilled for breakfast but then its not chicken liver, it is goat or sheep liver, since early morning a couple of sheep or goats are sacrificed. It doesn't taste the same, but quiet good and very healthy. If you are anemic, then it is a good option to boost up your red blood cells.
I can't rate the Sowda I had in several restaurants here in the UAE, but if I were, I'd give them a 6.5 or 7/10 all together. After all, anything that leaves it own homeland it never feels or tastes the same.
*Picture: Videojug.com
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