Instructions: 1 Fry the liver in a little oil in a frying pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent it from burning.

2 Trim and wash the lettuce. Choose the most tender leaves. Prepare a vinaigrette sauce by mixing together the mustard, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.

3 Toss the leaves in the vinaigrette. Serve the salad with the hot chicken liver and the slices of magret.

From the 17th century, a distinction was made between free range hens and those which were fattened up. Mme de Sevigne mentions those of Caen and Rennes; in Paris, those of Le Mans were considered the best, while in Lyons, Bresse chickens were preferred.

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