TV chef blows his lid in row over ‘unsafe’ chicken livers

TV CHEF Mark Sargeant has hit out at health chiefs after his restaurant was stripped of its top food safety rating.

Rocksalt, an award-winning restaurant in Kent, was downgraded after inspectors claimed the way chicken livers were cooked was ‘unsafe’.

The Michelin-starred chef, who was trained by Gordon Ramsay, said the technique used to cook the dish was something he was taught in college.

‘A well-done chicken liver is like eating rancid, crumbly paste but according to the powers that be it is how we should consume them,’ he said.

In an Environmental Health report, inspectors said chicken livers were cooked ‘medium’, which they said could lead to food poisoning.

Mr Sargeant said: ‘The law has now deemed that we can’t enjoy a steak tartare without searing the outside first.

‘Now it appears that we are no longer allowed to cook chicken livers pink.

‘When my chef said that we cook them to 70C instead of the recommended 75C ... they decided to drop us from five stars to two.’

He said the restaurant would appeal against the decision.