Chopped Liver

Chopped liver is a traditional Jewish dish which goes back many centuries, and remains a staple during many holidays. It is served as a first dish/appetizer, on crackers or small slices of bread. I know many people wouldn’t even think about trying it, or find it unappetizing, so it’s really a love-hate type of dish. I remember as a child, going over to my grandparents’ house quite often for dinner, and always seeing chopped liver out. And in all honesty, I wouldn’t even get close to it, let alone, think about trying the odd-looking dish. Flash forward to many years later, and now, I won’t pass it up if I see it being served somewhere. So for Rosh Hashanah this year (which just ended), I decided to try making it for the first time. The old-school recipes call for using schmaltz, which is rendered chicken fat, but I chose to go a different route and use vegetable oil instead, which makes it a tad healthier.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken livers
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 hardboiled eggs, diced & chopped
• Salt & pepper, to season the livers and extra for after it’s been chopped, if desired
• 1 tbsp. fresh parsley for garnish, if desired

Directions

1. Pour oil in a large skillet and turn heat to medium.
2. Add onions, and cook for about 10 minutes, until they’re soft and a little golden.
3. Push onions to the side and add washed & trimmed livers to the pan.
4. Season the livers generously with salt and pepper.
5. Fry the livers until they’re firm & brown and just slightly pink on the inside, about 3 minutes on each side.
6. When the livers are done, transfer them along with the onions, remaining oil and 2 eggs to a food processor, and pulse for about 30 seconds, mixing once halfway through, until a roughly textured paste is formed.
7. Taste and season with salt & pepper, if desired.
8. Transfer to a bowl and stir a few times (if salt & pepper was added).
9. Chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, then garnish with the remained chopped hardboiled egg and parsley, if using.
10. Serve with crackers, crostini, or small bread pieces, like rye.
11. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

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