Sautéed Chicken Hearts | Pan-Cooked with Butter and Onion

Split each heart lengthwise without cutting all the way through, and open it like a book. Scrape out the dark clot and trim away the white vessels at the top with the tip of a knife; if left in, they can give the cooked hearts a metallic aftertaste. Rinse the opened hearts under cold running water, rubbing them gently.

Drain the hearts in a colander, then arrange them one by one on paper towels and pat the tops dry as well. Continue until the surfaces look matte; if they are shiny, they still have water on them.

Heat a wide skillet with the olive oil until very hot. Add the hearts in a single layer with a finger-width of space between them, and do not stir for the first half a minute. Turn them when the undersides have developed a dark brown crust; if the pan is crowded, cook in two batches.

Add the butter to the pan and let it melt. Add the thinly sliced onion and the sliced pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is translucent and its edges are lightly browned. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and stir them into the dish; that is where much of the flavor is.

Add the grated garlic, thyme, black pepper, and salt, and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring. Insert a thermometer into the center of the thickest heart: poultry giblets count as poultry, and the internal temperature must reach 74°C / 165°F before you remove them from the heat. Turn off the heat as soon as they reach that temperature; every extra minute will make the hearts firmer.

Squeeze the lemon juice over the pan after removing it from the heat, toss it 1 time, and cover. Let rest for 2 minutes, then serve with warm bread.