Chicken Heart and Cheese Omelet

Yes, I know not everyone shares my love of certain types of offal, and they’re welcome to pronounce it “awful”.   If you don’t want to use chicken hearts (or can’t find them), feel free to use a portion of leftover boneless skinless chicken thigh from another meal (fat removed).

A hearty breakfast earlier this week.

Hearts are really muscle, very dense muscle, and very low in fat content, yet high in nutritional punch.   Heart is actually one of my favorite “cuts” from most any animal where I’ve tried it and when it has been cooked properly — yes, I see you looking at me with questioning eyes…  That’s okay!

With chicken hearts, as with any other part of chicken, they need to be thoroughly cooked.  I have a couple sources where I can buy a small batch – use some of them for other recipes, but reserve three or four per partaker, for breakfast.  This is probably about an ounce, or maybe a little less.

There is usually a little external fat that the butcher may leave on the outside upper portion of the hearts — cut that off and discard.

As for cheese — any good melty cheese you like is good — cheddar, Fontina, Gouda, smoked Gouda are especially recommended, but let what you like or have to hand be your guide.  I’ll mention what I used.

Prep station on the bamboo cutting board

French-style omelets never are allowed to brown.  I’m copacetic with a little browning, but  the eggs getting crunchy are right out.  The sauce the omelet will cook in will encourage a bit of browning, if only simply from the coloring of the tamari or the coconut aminos.

To the recipe!

Prep Time:  10 minutes.
Cook Time: 15 minutes plus or minus a minute or two.
Rest Time: not applicable.
Serves:  Recipe listed as per each person – multiply ingredients as needed.
Leftover Friendly:  Not really.

• 3-4 chicken hearts, fat cut off and discarded.
• 1-2 pats of butter (or 1/2 teaspoon healthy cooking oil – I recommend avocado or coconut oil, but I’m okay with the occasional use of grapeseed oil).
• garlic powder and ground pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon tamari or coconut aminos
• 2 large eggs
• 1 ounce, more or less, of thin-sliced meltable cheese.  (I had smoked Gouda to hand.)
• 1 green onion/scallion, chopped.
• 1 sprig fresh tarragon coarsely chopped  (or 1/8th teaspoon dried tarragon flakes)

PREP:

Prep the veggies — chop the scallions fine, and the fresh tarragon coarsely.  Prep the cheese as needed.

Take those fat-cleaned hearts, and slice them into thin slices, somewhere between 1/8th and 1/4th inches thick.

In a small skillet (assuming this is just for one person — size up if you are doing two people, natch!) heat your butter or fat on medium heat.  Meanwhile, beat up the eggs in a small bowl.

When the cooking oil/fat is hot (a drop of water sizzles) add the sliced chicken hearts, garlic powder and ground pepper.  Allow to pan fry until done, stirring as you work, about five minutes.  Add the tamari/coconut aminos, and allow the hearts to cook another minute.  Remove the meat to a plate.

Without cleaning the skillet, return it to the heat, wait a moment for the skillet temperature to re-equilibrate, and add the beaten eggs.  Cook until they mostly harden.  With just two eggs, I feel no need to flip, but I do use the spatula to move the eggy stuff around, so that everything eventually cooks through.

This is the canvas upon which breakfast will be spread

Drop in the bits of heart, then the cheese, then the tarragon, then the green onion/scallion.  Reserve a small portion of scallion for omelet ambiance atop, later.

Lay it on me!!!

Fold omelet in half, and let cook further, watching for all the cheese to melt, and the egg to cook completely.

Plate, and serve with the remainder of any scallion on top of the omelet.

This recipe is probably shocking people over at:  

Fiesta Friday.  (Co-hosts Antonia and Petra ) 

Real Food Fridays.