Chopped Liver
Chopped Liver
8
servings30
minutesWe always confess our love for all things liver as a sort of illicit guilty pleasure. We grew up eating it quite often, enjoyed it in moderate amounts without any remorse and without getting lectured.
Well-made chopped liver shouldn’t be treated as… chopped liver. It is a seriously fabulous treat, so, no problem going beyond the corny Jewish old-world bias it seems inseparable from.
The way we see it, as delicious as liver is, it is quite delicate, especially chopped liver, as chopped liver is the one liver recipe made mostly of livers. If you follow these simple rules, you will always end up with delicious chopped liver, and never settle for their commercial counterparts.
– Broil your own livers. Pre-broiled livers get bitter, and often err on the overdone side, probably to freeze them better (they don’t)
– Remember that broiled liver and by extension, chopped liver, don’t freeze well. Frozen and thawed chopped liver tastes objectionable and develops that “off” colour.
Ingredients
1Kg chicken livers, absolutely fresh (OK to buy frozen as long as they are raw, and let them thaw)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 large onions, sliced thin (use a food processor)
Good pinch nutmeg
2 good pinches ground bay leaf (bay leaf powder is easy to get)
4 hard boiled eggs
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/3 cup mayonnaise, low fat OK, just enough to make it come together
Directions
- Broil the livers on both sides, until just tender (do not overcook or they get bitter), and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet, and add the onions.
- Fry the onions on a medium flame, stirring occasionally, until dark (do not neglect this step: Dark fried onions add a key layer of flavor here).
- While the onions are still hot, stir in the nutmeg and bay leaf powder and let the mixture heat 1-2 more minutes, so the spices release maximum flavor.
- Set aside.
- Place the livers, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl, and mash with a hand masher until finely chopped (don’t let it get mushy).
- Stir in the onion mixture and the mayonnaise, and combine thoroughly.
- Store refrigerated.
- Enjoy it all in the next three days.
Notes
- Variations. Here are just a few suggestions:
– Artichoke Hearts or bottoms. Add in the last 30 minutes of cooking.
– Mushrooms. Add at the beginning of cooking.
– Tiny potatoes: Add in the last 30 minutes of cooking
– Tomatoes: add a large chopped onion and 2 large diced tomatoes at the beginning of cooking. No mustard
