It's Passover, which means my house has been inundated with traditional Jewish foods. We've had matzo ball soup, braised brisket, gefilte fish, and now chopped liver. Chopped liver is one of those simple, delicious, and very satisfying foods that is perfect for the holidays. As with last year, the duty to make it falls upon me. The concept is certainly not alien to me, as it is pretty much just pâté. I also strongly support spreads of any kind that help spruce up the matzos, which I still believe are very much an acquired taste. There seems to be a reasonable consensus among recipes on the internet, and mine is based closely around this general formula. The proportion of egg is a little higher here than most, and that is a matter of taste, easily adjusted.
The exotic ingredient du jour is, of course, schmaltz, or rendered chicken fat. Until I first made chopped liver, this was not something I had ever worked with, but it is apparently a key ingredient of traditional Jewish cuisine. Last year, we were able to find it in a grocery store, but this time around we weren't so lucky. However, it's not difficult to make your own. It just takes some time.
- 1/4 cup schmaltz (rendered chicken fat, see below)
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 lb chicken livers, drained and rinsed
- 3 hard boiled eggs
- Sprig of fresh parsley
- Salt and pepper to taste
Schmaltz
- Fat and skin trimmed from 4 chicken thighs (or equivalent)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- Pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
I'll start with making the schmaltz. If you have it canned, go ahead and skip this part. As it happens, 4 chicken thighs will provide you with just enough fat for the chopped liver, but of course, any fat and skin you can harvest from other parts of the bird is just fine. If you happen to be making matzo ball soup, or some similar dish, you have the perfect opportunity to trim fat.
I removed all the skin, and cut the smaller deposits off the bottom and sides. Chop the skin up as finely as possible. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Put all the skin and fat into a nonstick pan on low heat. You can experiment with the heat a little -- I had it halfway between low and medium for a while, and then lowered it back when it got too hot. Once a little of the fat has started to melt out, add the diced onion.
Cook the fat for about 90 minutes, stirring every once in a while to prevent sticking and burning. Once the bits of onion and skin have browned and crisped, you are done. Remove these bits (known in Yiddish as gribenes), which apparently have their uses, as well. Measure out 1/4 cup of the rendered fat, and refrigerate the rest. I ended up with exactly 1/4 cup.
Heat up half (1/8 cup) of the schmaltz in a frying pan, on medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until lightly browned. Season the livers with salt and pepper, then add to pan. Cook until just done, about 8-10 minutes.
Transfer the liver, onions, and any juices into a food processor. Add the parsley and remaining schmaltz and pulse to desired smoothness. Remove shells from eggs, slice in half, and add these to the food processor. Pulse a few more times. Taste the chopped liver, and add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a container and refrigerate, where the chopped liver will set and become more spreadable. Serve with matzos, toast, or crackers.
