Some days I feel like chopped liver. I mean I really feel like my liver has been chopped. Into tiny little pieces. Know what I mean? Some days I feel ground up, spit out and totally ignored. And on those days I just tell myself, “Get over it!” Sometimes it works. Sometimes I still feel like chopped liver. Overlooked. Second fiddle. But at least today I can eat it!
Yes, I agree. Chopped liver has a bit of an image problem. It’s not like it’s called pate or mousse or something fancy in French. It’s just a very simple dish that happens to be made out of chicken livers. Throw in a few hard boiled eggs and some sauteed onions and you’ve pretty much got it. In my case, I sauteed the onions in duck fat, not chicken fat or schmaltz. It would have been easy to turn it into pate. But I held back. This is after all, Passover chopped liver, not fancy chopped liver.
Liver seems to have fallen out of favor unless you are a goose, in which case you are a foie gras and highly desirable. But a chicken is still just a chicken-liver in this story. And the poor cow-I’m afraid his liver is used only when Weight Watcher’s requires their one liver meal a week; but maybe they changed that requirement since I was a teenager. I do recall my mother making it with onions each week with regularity. And I liked it. And then there is pork liver which becomes Braunschweiger and a lot of people eat that including moi, who used to eat it every morning for breakfast in the form of Oscar Meyer liver sausage. I ate it on toast and that was a long time ago, too. And then there is the duck’s liver and he can also become the desirable foie gras. So, really if you think about it, liver is still pretty popular in most forms.
Which leads me back to waste not, want not. I’m not sure if they ate a lot of chickens way back when, but they did make a lot of chicken soup and roast chickens. So whether they kept all those livers and saved them up in the days before refrigeration, well, I can’t tell you. My research doesn’t go back that far. But I can tell you that it doesn’t take many livers to feed a lot of people. I used about 3/4 of a pound and still had enough to give some to a friend. The rest we’ve been eating for about a week. So figure this will serve about 6-8 people as an appetizer and that is what chopped liver is meant to be-unless of course you put it on a sandwich in which case all bets are off. Some like a lot, some not so much spread between their bread.
I can also tell you that when I’m making liver I have two very close friends that don’t leave my side. The smell of liver is truly intoxicating. The onions and the liver create a highly addicting aroma especially if you are a dog. I think my dogs dream of Jewish holidays as much as I do. And speaking of aromas I fondly remember waking up to the smell of frying livers and golden soft onions drifting to the second story of our home. I remember running downstairs trying to sneak a bite out from under my mother’s nose who was also trying to sneak a bite without anyone knowing. I’m sure she was just testing…
So here goes. Venture forth to the land of liver. Remember to wash them well and trim off all the yukky green parts and the extra fat. Sometimes you get a good batch where there isn’t much to trim. To those I say thank you, Lord. The rest, well, sometimes it is a little gross. And be careful of those livers. They tend to be fragile so handle them gently. Just like people, they taste better when handled with kindness.
Chopped Chicken Livers (adapted from Jewish Holiday Cooking by Jayne Cohen and the kitchen of Libby Weiner))
Serves: 4-8
Time to Make: About 30 minutes
Ingredients:
Serves: 4-8
Time to Make: About 30 minutes
Ingredients:
7 large hard boiled eggs, shelled (I like eggy chopped liver. Some like it more livery; in which case use fewer eggs.)
1 lb fresh chicken livers cleaned (approximately) you can add more or less eggs accordingly
3-6 T oil, chicken fat or duck fat (and I believe I’ve seen some use butter but that is most definitely NOT kosher!)
4 c onions diced
Salt
Pepper
Mayonnaise (Highly Controversial! But sometimes a teeny dollop will add flavor and creaminess. However, my duck fat took care of that!)
Directions:
Now you have a choice! You can broil your livers or saute them. I have done both. In either case you do not want to overcook your livers. Overcooked livers are dry and tasteless. They should still be a bit pink but not a raw pink.
To broil: Set the livers on a rack over a foil lined sheet. Pat them dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil about 4 inches from the flame for about 3-4 minutes on each side.
To saute: Heat 3 T of your chosen fat in a skillet, Add livers and saute until cooked as above.
Now cook your onions. Heat 3 T of your chosen fat in a skillet over medium heat. Add 2 2/3 c of diced onions and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Saute while stirring occasionally until onions are rich and gold, about 15 minutes. Do not let onions brown. If you have broiled your livers add them back to pan and saute for about 1 minute while mixing the onions and livers together.
Transfer the onions and livers to a food processor and pulse on and off to chop coarsely. Add the hard boiled eggs and pulse a few more times until the desired texture is reached.(Very important-do not over process or you will have paste. I remember my mother using a meat grinder. It was always so cool to see the liver come out of the little holes.)
Now stir in remaining raw onions. Adjust seasonings. Some people like to add more oil or schmaltz at this step to make it more moist or rich. This is also where you would add a dollop of mayo if you are of THAT persuasion.
Serve with matzoh or crackers. Or put it on a giant onion roll with some lettuce and extra sliced onions. I’ve seen it layered with egg salad on a sandwich and I’ve seen it paired with corned beef. Many delis serve chopped liver but whenever I’ve tried it, they always seem to be more livery than I prefer.
Garnish with chopped hard boiled eggs and a smidgeon of green onions. Dip your fingers in. Taste the earthy, salty, sweet flavors of good chopped liver!
More Good Jewish Food:
Sephardic Charoses
Roast Chicken with Saffron, Hazelnuts and Honey
My Mother’s Brisket
Macaroons
Macaroons, Version 2
Passover Mocha Nut Cake
Flourless, Gluten Free, Passover Fudge Cake
Marshmallows and Matzoh S’mores
Please Don’t Lose This Recipe: Pin and Share!
19 Comments
Kitchen Riffs
March 29, 2013 at 10:27 pmI hated liver when I was a kid. Probably because my mom cooked quarter-inch slices of it until it looked remarkably like the sole of a shoe. And tasted like it, too (or at least how I imagined the sole of a shoe tasted!). So I always hated it – except in Braunschweiger. I probably didn't know it had liver in it! Anyway, all that changed when I first tasted properly cooked liver – cooked pink and juicy, as you suggest. Quite different from a shoe sole! Anyway, chopped liver is seriously good stuff. And you did it right. Fun post, good recipe – thanks.
Abbe Odenwalder
March 29, 2013 at 10:35 pmThanks, Mr.KR. I had a few shoe soles, too! I can even remember my mom throwing those out. But this is really good. Have a Happy Easter! And of course I just realized I was supposed to add all those other things to click on, but I will never edit another post in here again!
technology capitalists
March 30, 2013 at 5:05 amWhen you think about it chopped liver isn't a bad thing… Of course, the process starts out all messy and chopped up into bits and pieces. But in the end, it all comes together to make something special. Maybe life is just like that sometimes.
Angie Schneider
March 30, 2013 at 5:34 amI dared not to touch liver anymore ever since I have learnt about the cholesterol 🙁 Ate lots of them when I was still young though.
Your chopped liver looks ever so tempting!
Abbe Odenwalder
March 30, 2013 at 1:35 pmAngie, you are right and combined with eggs it is worse. My suggestion-everything in moderation and since I only have this a few times a year, I'm hoping it is OK!
And Mr. TC, maybe life is like that-sometimes.
Paula @ Vintage Kitchen
March 30, 2013 at 11:49 pmChicken liver is one ingredient that blew my mind the first time I tried it. Wonderful recipe! The rest of the ingredients make it a great thing to eat.
Abbe Odenwalder
March 31, 2013 at 12:10 amJeez, Paula, I've never heard anyone say it blew their mind so that makes me happy. It is true though that if you don't think about what you are eating, you really think it is pretty good!
ChgoJohn
March 31, 2013 at 8:16 amI was one of the few kids that enjoyed liver as a kid, and that included chicken liver. So, if you're serving chicken liver, I say, "Bring it on!" I must admit, though, that the distance separating us may pose a problem. Guess I'll just have to give your recipe a try on my own. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Yi @ Yi Reservation
March 31, 2013 at 9:03 pmI think a lot of people shun away from chopped liver because they are afraid of the amount of cholesterol found in liver. While I have not made my chopped liver in for some time I always enjoy a small amount of it whenever I get a chance. Your recipe looks very delicious and easy to make that I will have to give it try. Thanks for sharing it!
Abbe Odenwalder
March 31, 2013 at 9:11 pmYou are probably right Yi. But like anything enjoy in moderation! It is easy to make and double delicious!
Amy
April 1, 2013 at 1:35 amI love your chopped liver. It's rustic and hearty. Something that's what we need, over the fancy stuff like pate or mousse. 😉 This is such a hearty treat.
Abbe Odenwalder
April 1, 2013 at 2:19 amJohn, as soon as I get back to Chicago I am looking you up! My brother lives in Berwyn, I still have relatives in Kankakee and others scattered around. I'll make liver, you can make pasta!
Amy, it is a great treat. Yes it is rustic but really has a very delicate, almost sweet taste. The duck fat made a big difference.
Cathleen
April 1, 2013 at 7:16 amI have always hated liver. But maybe because I have only tried it when my parents made it. It smelled fantastic, but I couldn't stand the taste. I should give it another try, this recipe looks delicious!!
Barb | Creative Culinary
April 1, 2013 at 2:10 pmI've never considered making my own chopped liver but I just might! I'm not a big fan of cow liver but I'll tell ya…if I can find them cooked well, I just LOVE fried chicken livers with onions. Now I'm craving them…all your fault you know. 🙂
Abbe Odenwalder
April 1, 2013 at 2:17 pmThe onions mask the smell, Cathleen! But really if you like pate you will like this! And chicken livers are sweeter than beef livers!
Abbe Odenwalder
April 1, 2013 at 2:33 pmBarb, they are good just like you said.And easy to make. I also love fried chicken livers. My dad used to buy fried chicken every Sunday night when i was a child and he always used to come back with a container of fried gizzards and one of livers. Don't know that they still do that anymore. We always fought for the last liver.
Biz
April 1, 2013 at 8:28 pmBoth my PIL and my Mom LOVE chicken livers – ew! Sorry, not my cup of tea, but glad you liked it! 😀
Abbe Odenwalder
April 1, 2013 at 9:41 pmI think you have to grow up with them! Not to worry!
Yi
April 3, 2017 at 2:54 amBe it called chopped liver or pate, it changed my view on chicken liver. I didn't like cooked chicken before maybe because it was cooked in bigger slices or chunks but once I had chopped liver I was instantly hooked. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe. I'll definitely need to save up some chicken fat or duck fat before I attempt it.