How to Improve Fertility with Chicken Liver and Mushroom Parcels in Your Fertile Days

Fertile Days Recipe | Nutritious Dinner Idea

Feeds: 2 | Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 45 mins | Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins

Looking for a nourishing dinner that can help boost your fertility, or wondering how to improve fertility through food? You’ve come to the right place, starting with these chicken liver and mushroom parcels!

When you're in your fertile window, those precious days leading up to and including ovulation, your body calls out for nutrient-dense, blood-building foods. These chicken liver and mushroom parcels are exactly that: deeply nourishing, rich in iron, B vitamins, and zinc, and a beautiful way to honour your body’s needs during this time.

I know chicken liver can seem like a bold ingredient, but it was one of my secret weapons when I was trying to conceive naturally. Why? It's one of those traditional foods revered in Chinese Medicine and Western nutrition for supporting healthy ovulation, hormone production, and blood flow.

If you're preparing for pregnancy and practising fertility awareness, this is the kind of dinner that does more than fill you up. It also strengthens your foundations, gently supporting your body to be in the best possible position to conceive naturally.

So, if you’re feeling ready to nourish yourself from the inside out, let’s get started.

Ingredients

Before I started my natural conception journey, I didn’t realise just how much my food choices could influence my cycle. What I’ve since learned and now see time and time again in my clinic is that fertility preparation isn’t about rigid rules or miracle fixes. It’s about deeply nourishing and keeping the body in rhythm with your cycle. 

In the fertile window, your body is working hard by preparing an egg, building a uterine lining, and getting ready to welcome new life. To do this well, it needs iron, vitamin A, folate, and B vitamins, all of which chicken liver offers in abundance. So, if you’ve been wondering how to improve fertility in a grounded and nourishing way, this meal is a beautiful way to start.

• 200g chicken liver, trimmed of sinew - Rich in iron, vitamin A, folate, and B12, all essential for ovulation, egg quality, and building healthy blood

• 150g chestnut mushrooms, chopped - A great source of selenium and vitamin D, supporting immune health and hormone balance

• 6 smoked, dry-cured streaky bacon rashers - Adds satiating fat crucial for hormone production and depth of flavour

• 1 onion, finely chopped - Contains quercetin and sulphur compounds that support detoxification and reduce inflammation

• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed - Offers anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, which can support immune function and pelvic circulation

• 75g breadcrumbs - Binds the mixture; choose wholegrain to add fibre for blood sugar balance if possible

• A handful of fresh parsley, chopped - Rich in vitamin C and folate, aiding nutrient absorption and egg development

• A handful of walnuts, chopped - Packed with omega-3s and antioxidants to support uterine health and reduce oxidative stress

• 2 tbsp olive oil - A healthy fat source that supports hormone production and reduces inflammation

• (Optional) 1 tbsp brandy - For deglazing to add depth and enrich flavour

Step-by-Step Dinner Preparation

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, food is more than fuel. It’s medicine, and how we prepare it matters just as much as what we eat. When we’re aiming to optimize fertility, we focus on supporting the organs most responsible for reproduction—the Liver, Spleen, and Kidneys—through warming, blood-nourishing meals. 

If you’ve been asking yourself how to improve fertility naturally, the answer often lies in the small, consistent choices we make at mealtimes.

Chicken liver is considered a classic blood tonic in TCM. It helps rebuild and enrich the blood after menstruation. This is especially important during the fertile window, when the body needs strong, healthy blood to nourish the developing follicle and thicken the uterine lining. 

By supporting the Liver system, which in TCM governs the smooth flow of Qi and Blood, the chicken liver helps ensure that circulation to the ovaries and uterus remains open and vital. This smooth flow is seen as essential for ovulation and implantation, and that is why foods like liver are so often recommended when you're consciously preparing for pregnancy.

And here’s something that isn’t said enough: female fertility and why lifestyle choices count is more than just a headline. It’s a lived truth. From how we eat and rest to how we move and think, every part of our lifestyle shapes the terrain of the womb. 

Recipes like this play an essential role in fertility preparation because they’re tailored to the unique physiological needs of the fertile window. In the days leading up to ovulation, your body matures an egg and prepares the uterine lining for possible implantation. 

During this time, foods that build blood, support hormone production, and gently warm the womb are especially beneficial. Therefore, aligning your meals with the cycle this way isn’t just theory; it’s a practical method rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine and modern fertility nutrition. 

Meals like this are among the best fertility preparation steps because they nourish the blood, support digestion, and gently build warmth in the body. This targeted nourishment lays the groundwork for conception. Creating a healthy and receptive environment for ovulation and implantation is a small but powerful choice for natural fertility. 

So, when you’re ready, grab your chopping board and frying pan. It’s time to cook and support your cycle!

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C (170°C fan) / gas mark 5.

2. Sauté the base: Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion and sauté gently for 10 minutes until soft and translucent.

3. Cook the mushrooms: Increase the heat slightly, then add the mushrooms. Cook for another 10 minutes until golden and the moisture has evaporated. Stir in the garlic and cook for one more minute. Transfer this mixture to a plate to cool slightly.

4. Brown the liver: Pat the chicken livers dry. Add a touch more oil to the pan and quickly sear the livers for about 30 seconds per side—just enough to brown them without cooking through. Set aside.

5. Deglaze: Add the brandy to the hot pan, letting it bubble and reduce. This will lift all the flavour from the pan. Let everything cool slightly.

6. Make the filling: Roughly chop the chicken livers. In a bowl, mix the chopped livers with the mushroom-onion mix, reduced brandy, breadcrumbs, most of the parsley, and most of the walnuts.

7. Shape the parcels: Line the muffin or bun tin wells with the bacon rashers, pressing them into little nests.

8. Fill and bake: Spoon the mixture into each bacon-lined well. Sprinkle over the remaining walnuts, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 25 minutes until the bacon is crisp and golden.

9. Garnish: Scatter with the reserved chopped parsley before serving.

10. Serve and enjoy!

Tips and Variations

• Liver quality is everything. Choose organic or pasture-raised chicken livers whenever possible for optimal hormone support.

• Add a side of steamed greens like kale or spinach for extra iron and folate.

• Serve the parcels with a green salad, crusty sourdough bread, and a little butter so you and your partner can enjoy them.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)

I don’t believe in counting every calorie when you’re focused on fertility, but if you’re curious or just love a good label, here’s the breakdown.

• Calories: 420 kcal

• Protein: 28g

• Fat: 30g

• Carbohydrates: 12g

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