Chicken Heart

Name: Chicken heart — a tiny, firm, dark organ, about the size of a thumb tip, with a rich, slightly gamey flavour and a pleasant chew. It is grilled on skewers in Japanese yakitori (hatsu), Brazilian churrasco (coração) and Turkish and Middle Eastern grills.

Description

Chicken hearts are small, cheap and quick to cook, and appreciated across Asia and the Americas. In Brazil, espetinho de coração are skewered hearts cooked over charcoal, a popular barbecue snack, and in Japan hatsu is a classic yakitori item. They are sold fresh or frozen, often in tubs with other giblets.

The heart is a muscle, so it is lean, and it has the flavour of dark chicken meat, with more depth. Trimmed of the fat and arteries at the top, it can be grilled, pan-fried or stewed.

Main nutrition value

Offal is dense in nutrients, including vitamin B12, iron, zinc and other minerals and B vitamins, and much cheaper than muscle meat. Chicken heart is a good source of protein, iron, zinc, B vitamins and coenzyme Q10, and is low in fat.

How best to be consumed

Chicken hearts are trimmed and cooked quickly, until well done.

1. Trim the top, with the arteries and fat, and rinse.
2. Thread onto skewers, season with salt, garlic and chilli, and grill or pan-fry for 5 to 8 minutes, turning, until cooked through.
3. Alternatively, stew them slowly in sauce, or sauté with onions.
4. Cook to at least 74°C, with no pink, like all poultry.
5. Keep raw hearts cold, and use within a day or two of buying, or freeze.

Overconsumption could cause…

Chicken hearts are nutritious, and healthy in moderation.

1. Food poisoning from Salmonella and Campylobacter, which are common on raw poultry, so cook it to 74°C, avoid washing raw poultry (which spreads bacteria), and keep it away from ready-to-eat food.
2. Dietary cholesterol, which is higher in organ meats, although current evidence suggests it affects blood cholesterol less than saturated fat does for most people.
3. Gout flare-ups in people with gout, since meat and especially organ meats are high in purines.
4. Overcooking, which makes them tough and rubbery.

GroupsOrgan MeatsPoultry and game birdsHigh proteinLow sodiumRich in folateRich in ironRich in vitamin B12Rich in zincFresh

Related foodsChicken LiverLamb LiverBeef LiverPork LiverBeef HeartSweetbreads

Wikipedia — Yakitori, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakitori