Chopped Liver Attack

Someone asked me to give them my recipe for chopped liver so I will write it down here.  It is all too easy to make and these quantities are for "industrial quantities" as I never make it unless there are lots of us to feed.  My mother-in-law had perfected a microwave method and also had a recipe for vegetarian schmaltz.  Unfortunately no one got the recipe and she is no longer with us to ask.  I have my own family recipe; my Dad used to say that it was as good as his grandma used to make.  This was praise indeed,  I may have tasted it but I would have been too young to remember. My current version is the "light" one which replaces chicken fat "schmaltz" with vegetable oil.  I now use rape seed oil but any vegetable oil will do.  I used to use 12 eggs but have reduced this to 8 for this quantity of liver.  Some people use ox liver, but I no longer eat any mammalian meat and in any case the flavour of ox liver is too strong.  Chicken livers are the thing to use - always.

Ingredients are few for this and are as follows for a very large quantity; certainly enough for 15 to 20 people with a large appetite; after all this is only supposed to be a starter.  This is a typical Jewish recipe and many adaptations are possible.  A large food processor is best to process the chopped liver.  The livers maybe chopped by hand using knives in the traditional way; this results in a coarser textured pate which is sometimes preferred.  Traditionally the chicken livers would need to be koshered.  Please do this if you are kosher and have not purchased pre-koshered livers.

2lb fresh chicken livers
3 largish onions chopped
8 hard boiled eggs or more (if you like)
2 to 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper to taste


Heat oil in large frying pan and fry onions till golden and well cooked
Season with salt and pepper whilst frying the onions
Add the chicken livers to the pan and fry until cooked through and most but not all of the liquid has bubbled off.  
Allow to cool (if time allows)
Add all but two of the eggs and process the livers eggs and onions in the food processor until an even texture is obtained.
Correct the seasoning to taste
Chop the remaining two eggs either by hand or in a mini processor
Place chopped liver on the serving dish and sprinkle the chopped egg over the surface for decoration Cover and refrigerate until set and serve chilled.
Finely chopped parsley to garnish if liked or chop some spring onion with the egg.  This is egg and onion and can be served instead of the liver as a veggie alternative.

At this time of year (Passover) this is eaten with Matzot but at other times it is eaten with bread, usually challah.  If you don't have to feed the whole block then make a small amount.  When we used to get livers in the chicken we would make it with one liver!!!.  For this quantity use one egg and half a small onion.  My nanny would squeeze the juice from a raw onion and not fry the onion at all.  She would add this to the cooked chopped liver with the chopped egg and just make a small plate of liver pate.  It was delicious too.

Sorry no photo as it's all been eaten!!!!

One pot Chicken with Mushrooms, Green Beans and Taragon

Just thought I'd share this recipe with those of you who might come across this blog.  I made this last night for supper and Michael really loved it.  Unfortunately I didn't take a picture but it was good eating rather than good looking.  Not bad looking you understand but this is a one pot dish.  These quantities are sufficient for two very generous portions.

Ingredients:

4 Organic Chicken Thighs
2 tbsp Rape Seed Oil
2 Chopped Onions
3 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 tbsp Dried Tarragon
1 tin Mushrooms (drained)
500gm Fine Green Beans (trimmed)
4 tbsp  White Wine Vinegar
250 ml Water
1/2 tsp Salt and quite a lot of freshly ground black pepper
Large frying pan with lid

Heat oil in frying pan (I use a large Tefal non stick frying pan with a lid). 
Brown chicken pieces skin side down and turn over once skins have taken on some colour.
Add chopped onions and cook gently until softened slightly and then add chopped garlic and cook for a little longer.
Add dried tarragon salt and pepper and stir well with wooden spoon until all chicken has a coating of the herbs and seasoning.
Add the mushrooms and cook on moderate heat until mushrooms start to brown slightly.
Add the vinegar and simmer for a few minutes and then add half of the water.
Add the green beans and cover the pan with a lid.
Simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring from time to time, until the chicken and the beans are tender.  Add more water if necessary and adjust the seasoning to taste.  (The beans will not be al dente but a la francaise i.e well cooked and tender.  Once you have eaten them this way forget al dente)!
Serve with rice or potatoes. 

Obviously you can use fresh mushrooms if you have them and fresh tarragon but make sure that it is French tarragon and not Russian, which has no flavour at all!!!!

We ate this with some lovely baked Desiree potatoes but it would be just as good with mashed potatoes.  For a change recently I used red and white quinoa with Bulgar wheat, which was excellent with another one pot chicken dish with a rich tomato sauce that I had I made.  This too would work well.

I was a little worried that the vinegar would be too strong but, on the contrary, this worked very well.  White wine would work well too but I think this was equaly good but different.  I urge you to try it if you haven't already done so.