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7.26.2008

What Do I Look Like...Chopped Liver?


I have been meaning to do this post for a while. Maybe its to heavy for the season, but as long as the air conditioning works, why not? Also my Certain Someone is away for 2 weeks( to work on the Swedish house and then Florida for work) and he's not a fan of chicken livers. Funny because doesn't sausage contain all sorts of offal? However all my female family and friends love this stuff. I get countless requests for it. Mama Roxy loved it too.I don't know if we were all iron deprived or what. I have tweaked and "glamahed" this recipe up so it doesn't even resemble or taste like what you find in most delis. If Im lucky , I substitute goose or duck fat for chicken fat. I also cream the mixture more so than chop. And finally I drizzle some aromatic black truffle oil on top. Is it kosher , no, but its damn good!My recipe base comes from one of my favorite cookbooks. Once way before Certain Someone, I was involved on and off, with a Jewish guy. So I became fascinated with the foods and customs. Not like that vegetarian would eat what I honed in on.Anyway this book remains a favorite, The Book of Jewish Food...An Odyssey From Samakand To New York, by Claudia Roden. The book has great historical tidbits and chronicles all the different types of Jewish foods based on tribes/regions. One of my favorites are the Italian Jewish dishes. Once in New York City I was lucky to taste some old Italian Jewish recipes and it was fantastic. My dining companions who were laughing at me at first couldn't stop reaching over to taste mine. So back to the liver. The author, Roden , Points out that that delicacy we all love ( well most of us) pate de foie gras may have Jewish origins. Come to find out,it was the Jews in the Rhineland community of Alsace that developed the way of breeding and fattening the geese by force feeding, became their trade. Force fed geese is a whole other controversy that I wont get into today. Today's chopped liver just uses humble chicken livers, the left over garlic infused duck fat from my confit before,onions, eggs, and black truffle oil. Open your mind, mouth, and enjoy.
Chopped Liver adapted from The Book Of Jewish Food, by Claudia Roden
1 large onion chopped
3 tablespoons duck fat ( I used my leftover garlic infused confit fat, the book recommends chicken fat, and that's more standard)
1/2 lb chicken livers
1-2 hard boiled eggs
salt
pepper
Black truffle oil

Fry the onion in the duck fat in a large pan with lid on until soft and golden. Be sure to stir occasionally.Rinse the livers and sprinkle with salt. Place the livers on a a sheet of aluminum foil and grill/cook until they change color. Turn once. Let cool.
Cut the hard boiled egg up. You can use a food processor. Add the liver and onions to the processor as well to create a coarse paste. Mix with the eggs. Salt and pepper to taste. Smooth the surface and drizzle some black truffle oil (my addition).Note I also use a immersion blender to chop all the ingredients. It works and makes a nice paste.Traditionally this is served with some chopped egg on top and with hallah or rye bread.

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27 comments:

Peter M said...

I've never been keen on lover but pates, wursts like this seem to go down nicely...must be the duck fat!

Anonymous said...

ohhhhh girl!! you've been eating GOOD recently! duck confit, burgers, now liver! mmm, i'm coming over. i absolutely love liver and offal of any sort (as you know). you're so right - people need to open their mind! i have some veal livers that need eating up soon.

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

I love that speciality! I made Joan Nathan's Chopped Liver, but I definitely will have to try Claudia Roden's version! A book I'll have to buy...

Cheers,

Rosa

Helene said...

That is too funny, the hubbs was asking for pate or chicken liver just last night. I am actually getting hungry!!

Nikki @ NikSnacks said...

I am not a pate eater. I don't do forcemeats of anykind, really. Now, if you sneak it in a charcuterie platter and tell me its something else, then I might try it. Maybe.

Unknown said...

I thought that photo looked like chopped liver. My grandmother, who didn't know from black truffle oil, certainly could render goose fat. She would have been impressed!

eatingclubvancouver_js said...

I never understood the intent behind that particular rhetorical question, because chopped liver always looks good to me! ;)

Darius T. Williams said...

I'm with certain someone on this one...I'm just sooo not into livers. But I will TEAR UP some sausage!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

giz said...

I would walk miles for good chopped liver. I do make it the odd time myself but I still can't bring myself to use the chicken fat and just substitute with olive oil to give it that creaminess.

The recipe you used is an authentic one.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Add this to your repertoire of "good eats" while Certain Someone is away.

Anonymous said...

girl you can keep it. i do not like liver.. although i do enjoy fois gras!! yummmmm.

oh and i did finally learn to skip out on shoes when traveling. you'll see on the 2nd st. maarten post...

Emily said...

Interesting stuff! I would definitely give this a try.

I like Jewish food, culture, holidays, etc. I think it's fascinating. Makes me want to convert.
But I'm a rastafarian...heh heh.

The Caked Crusader said...

I want to make this but can't seem to get hold of any good chicken fat (schmaltz).

Yours looks yummy!

Nina Timm said...

I love chicken livers in any form, but this pate looks sublime with the added duck fat and the truffle oil.

Anonymous said...

Yum, this looks so good. I love this kind of thing. This, fresh bread and a bottle of Amarone and I am a happy girl!

Kajal@aapplemint said...

:( u know i just dont like liver !!!
any freaking liver from any animal !!
weird huh !

nyc/caribbean ragazza said...

delicious. I haven't had this in years. I'm with Joanne, some good bread a nice glass or two of wine and I'm good to go.

Jen said...

Hahahahaha... your post reminded me of my mum making chopped liver when I was little. It was only for special occasions when the whole family came over and my cousins and I would always say 'ewww' and pretend to hate it then sneak crackers full of it when no one was looking.

Thistlemoon said...

Yeah I am like CS - not so much into liver stuff (unless it is liverwurst - not sure what the deal is) but I LOVE LOVE LOVE sausage! Weirdos we are.

Deborah said...

I would love to try this someday. Liver is on my "can't eat" list with the baby on the way, but I'll have to remember it for when he/she is born!

Laurie said...

This sounds simply divine! I think the duck fat version would be so wonderful. And the drizzle of black truffle oil sounds perfect!

Anonymous said...

Looks so delicious! I love Claudia's book, used it for some recipes for my birthday party last weekend too.

Anonymous said...

I love liver of any kind SO MUCH I could apply it as a face mask before going to bed! Yum. Can I come over and help you with that one? :-)

Aquelah said...

Wow, that looks like a great recipe! I'll have to try it although where exactly do you buy goose livers and duck fat from other than at a restaurant?

Jeanne said...

Oh YUM, that sounds fantastic. I never used to like livers as a child, but it was chicken liver pate that finally won me over. This looks simple, rich and delicious. Hmmm... my other half is also going away soon, so I foresee many a girly evening watching chick flicks and eating this ;-)

Cakespy said...

Ahh! I have never actually seen this made, just heard the saying! I's really interesting--and sounds delicious! Maybe with this increased awareness, "What am I, chopped liver?" will become a compliment!?

Brittany said...

chicken liver pate- my ultimate weakness!