-
1
Melt the butter with the olive oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is completely soft, translucent, and without colour — raw onion flavour at this stage will dominate the finished paste. The onion is ready when it yields without resistance to the back of a spoon.
-
2
Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the cleaned chicken livers in a single layer. Sauté, turning once, until browned on the outside and just cooked through at the centre — the livers should show no raw pink when pressed, but remain moist and slightly yielding, not hard. Overcooked livers turn grainy and lose their iron-warm depth.
-
3
Pour in the Vin Santo. Let it bubble and reduce by roughly half, scraping the pan floor. The sweet, oxidative raisin note of the wine should be present in the aroma but not raw alcohol — this is where the dish lives or dies: too little reduction and the wine dominates; too much and the Tuscan character is lost. Remove the sage leaves.
-
4
Transfer the contents of the pan to a chopping board. Add the rinsed capers and the anchovy fillets. Chop firmly with a mezzaluna, working the mixture repeatedly until it forms a rough, spreadable paste in which individual pieces of liver are still discernible. The texture must not become smooth — stop before it resembles a purée. Taste: the anchovy should have dissolved into the paste, providing depth without any perceptible fishiness.
-
5
Stir in a few drops of raw extra-virgin olive oil to give the paste lustre and pliability. If making ahead, press cling film directly onto the surface and refrigerate; allow to return to room temperature before serving.
-
6
Toast the slices of pane sciocco until lightly golden on both sides. While still warm, brush or spoon over a little warm chicken stock — enough to moisten the surface without saturating it. The bread is ready when it yields slightly under light finger pressure rather than feeling rigid. Spread the fegatini paste generously and serve immediately.