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Chopped liver
Chopped liver (כבד קצוץ): Ashkenazi chicken liver pâté with schmaltz-fried onion and egg
Chopped liver is the first course of many Friday-night dinners in Ashkenazi homes from Haifa to Petah Tikva, spread on challah before the soup, and Tel Aviv delis still sell it by weight on Thursdays. Chicken livers are cooked through in schmaltz with a mountain of slowly browned onion, then chopped with hard-boiled egg into a coarse, rich spread that is sweet from the onion and deeply savoury. It is served cool, with challah, crackers or rye bread and a pickled cucumber. People often undercook the livers to keep them soft, but for safety they must have no pink left inside; the onion and schmaltz keep the texture tender anyway. Chef's tip: pulse in short bursts or chop by hand; a smooth purée loses the rustic texture that makes this different from a French pâté.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb chicken liverstrimmed of sinew and any green patches, patted dry
- 4 tbsp schmaltz (rendered chicken fat)or vegetable oil
- 3 onionslarge, thinly sliced
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepperfreshly ground
To serve
- pickled cucumbers (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 3 eggs in a small pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool in cold water, peel and set aside.
12 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Add 3 onions and cook, stirring now and then, until soft, sticky and deep golden brown.
20 minStep 3: Lift the onions out with a slotted spoon. Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the rest of 1 tbsp schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) and lay in 1 ⅛ lb chicken livers in one layer.
Step 4: Fry the livers for 3–4 minutes on each side until browned outside and cooked right through: cut the thickest one open, it should be brown with no pink and the juices clear, or 165°F on a thermometer.
8 minStep 5: Let the livers cool for 10 minutes. Chop them with the onions and the eggs on a board with a large knife, or pulse in a food processor in short bursts, until coarse and spreadable. Season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper.
Step 6: Pack into a bowl, cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Keep in the fridge for up to 2 days and serve cool with pickled cucumbers and challah, rye bread or gluten-free crackers.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 7 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chopped liver take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
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