Chopped Chilled Chicken Liver Food

CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVERS

Steps:

• Rinse the livers and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Clean the livers, by trimming and discarding any visible fat, green parts, or membrane. Set the livers aside.
• In a large saute pan, over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat and add the onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the onions to a plate with a slotted spoon. Wipe out the pan.
• Spread the livers out in a single layer on a sheet pan and season with the salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high, add 2 tablespoons of the fat to the pan and when the fat begins to shimmer, lay the livers in the pan in a single layer. Working in batches, cook the livers turning each over once, until browned, about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the livers to the plate with the onions. Repeat with 2 tablespoons fat and remaining livers. Cool.
• Coarsely chop the livers with a knife (don't be tempted to use a food processor). In a medium bowl, gently combine the livers with the eggs, onions, and remaining 2 tablespoons fat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Serve with toast and cornichons if desired.
• Serving suggestion: Toasted rye or pumpernickel bread and cornichons .
• In a small saucepan combine the chicken fat or skin, thyme, garlic, and water. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low to medium heat. Cook until the fat has rendered (liquefied) and the skin becomes crispy, about 35 to 45 minutes. (Adjust the heat, as needed, to keep the skin from browning too quickly.) Set the chicken fat aside to cool slightly. Strain into a small bowl. If desired reserve the crispy skin. Refrigerate, covered, for up to one week.
• Yields: about 1/2 cup

TRADITIONAL JEWISH CHOPPED LIVER

Steps:

• Bring small saucepan of water with eggs to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and set the timer for 9 minutes. Once timer has gone off, plunge eggs under cold water and cool completely. Peel and set aside. Cook onion in a sauté pan, with 2 tablespoons of schmaltz, over medium heat until medium golden brown and very soft. Add chicken livers and stir to combine. Turn off heat and add brandy and thyme. Turn heat on low (be careful as the brandy might ignite) and cook until all brandy has been absorbed or evaporated. Remove thyme and process mixture plus remaining schmaltz in food processor until creamy and smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Transfer liver to a decorative bowl or platter and chill at least 1 hour. Garnish as desired and serve with matzo or thinly sliced rye bread. If you can't find kashered chicken livers see how it's done:

CHOPPED LIVER RECIPE

Steps:

• Place the chicken livers on paper towels to drain. Place the eggs in your food processor bowl.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large 12-inch skillet. Add the chopped onion and fry until golden, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook a few more seconds, just until no longer raw. Using a spatula, transfer the skillet contents, including any remaining oil, to the food processor.
• Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Add the chicken livers and cook them over medium heat (not higher or they could burst) until brown on the outside and barely pink on the inside, about 3 minutes per side. Overcooked livers are dry and grainy.*
• Again, use the spatula to transfer the skillet contents, including the livers, the oil, and any tasty bits left on the bottom of the skillet, to the food processor.
• Add the salt and pepper. Process briefly, about 30 seconds, stopping once to scrape the sides and bottom with a spatula. You don't want the chopped liver to be as smooth as a liver pate. It should have a bit more texture to it.
• Transfer the chopped liver to a serving dish. Cover and keep in the fridge for at least two hours, allowing the flavors to meld. Don't eat it when still warm! It won't be very good. It needs time to develop its deep flavor. Its flavor, as well as its texture, greatly improves after a rest in the fridge.

CHOPPED LIVER

Steps:

• Prepare schmaltz and gribenes ahead of time, or purchase schmaltz from your local kosher market. Goose fat or duck fat can be used in place of schmaltz if desired. Prepare the livers by cutting off any tough pieces or stringy tendons. You should also cut away any pieces of liver that look discolored, yellow or strange. This is pretty much the worst prep job ever, as uncooked liver has a soft and slimy texture, so make sure this step is done by someone with a strong stomach.
• Add 2 tbsp schmaltz or oil into a large cast iron or nonstick skillet and melt over medium heat. Put half of the chicken livers into the skillet and fry them for 3 minutes on each side (about 6 minutes total). Season the livers generously with salt and pepper as they are cooking. *Note: If you plan to kosher your chicken livers by broiling them prior to making chopped liver, you will only need to sauté them in the skillet for about 1 minute on each side. Koshering the livers cooks them, so there is no need to sauté them for a long period of time. Be careful not to overcook or burn the livers, or they will become dry.
• After cooking, livers should be firm and browned on the outside while slightly pink on the inside. They will continue to cook internally after you remove them from the skillet; don't overcook them, or they will turn dry. When the livers are brown and firm, pour them into a medium-size mixing bowl along with the leftover schmaltz/oil from the pan. Add another 2 tbsp of schmaltz/oil to the skillet, melt it, and fry the remaining livers repeating the same process as above. Add the livers and leftover schmaltz/oil from the pan to the mixing bowl.
• The skillet should now be seasoned with schmaltz or oil, so you don't need to grease the pan again. Add the onion slices to the skillet and reduce heat to medium low.Cover the skillet and let the onion cook undisturbed over medium low heat for 10 minutes. Check once or twice during cooking just to make sure they are not over-browning or starting to burn. The onions should be softening, but not darkening at this point. This "steaming" process kick-starts the caramelization needed for sweetness in the chopped livers.
• Uncover the skillet, stir the onions, and continue to sauté them for another 30-40 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to keep the onions from burning. Ideally the onions should be deeply caramelized, tender and sweet - this is what gives Jewish chopped liver its trademark savory-sweetness.Don't try to speed up the caramelization process, it takes time-- and that's ok. Good things are worth waiting for. When the onions have reduced to about 1/3 of their original size and are soft, sweet, and golden, they're ready.
• Add the cooked onions to the mixing bowl along with 4 of the diced hard boiled eggs and the ½ cup of gribenes (optional). Season all ingredients generously with salt and pepper.
• Now it's time to chop all of the ingredients together into a blended mix. There are various schools of thought on the "right" way to chop liver. The old fashioned way is to chop it by hand with a knife, mincing and mincing until it resembles a rough pâté.
• Another popular method is using a meat grinder. I use a meat grinding attachment on my Kitchen Aid mixer on the fine hole setting. Works like a charm.If you want to take a more modern approach, fit your food processor with a metal blade. Place all ingredients into the processor and pulse for about 30 seconds, stirring once halfway through processing, until a roughly textured paste forms.
• Whatever method you choose, it's important to taste the chopped liver once it is ground. Add salt or pepper to taste, if desired. Be a bit generous with the seasoning, as the liver is best served chilled and the seasoning won't taste as strong after chilling.
• Chill the chopped liver in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with remaining diced hardboiled egg and minced parsley.

CHOPPED & CHILLED CHICKEN LIVER

Steps:

• Melt 1/4 cup oil in skillet.
• Add onions and saute' for approximately 10 minutes or until they are caramelized.
• Remove and set aside.
• Melt remaining oil in same skillet.
• Saute' livers for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Chop, or mash, livers to desired consistency.
• Add the onions and eggs and mix together.
• Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Mix well and chill.
• Serve at room temperature.

SIMPLE CHOPPED LIVER

Steps:

• Place the eggs into a saucepan in a single layer and fill with water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour out the hot water, then cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel and chop once cold.
• Meanwhile, heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender and golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes more. Place onion on a plate and set aside. Stir chicken livers into the same skillet. Cook until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear. Place chicken livers on the same plate as the onions and allow to cool completely.
• Place chicken livers and onion in a food processor. Process until desired texture is achieved. Place liver mixture into a bowl and season with salt and sugar. Stir in the chopped eggs. Chill before serving.

CHICKEN LIVER PATE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, onion and chicken livers. Reduce heat to low, and simmer approximately 10 minutes, until chicken livers are tender and no longer pink.
• Place chicken liver mixture in a blender with dry sherry, cream cheese, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl, cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 2 hours before serving.

RUSS & DAUGHTERS' CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVER

Steps:

• Drain chicken livers, rinse and pat dry. Remove any connective tissue. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the livers until they are firm and slightly pink in the center, about 5 minutes. (Do not overcook.) Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate to cool.
• In a clean, large skillet, melt the shortening over medium heat and add the onions. Sauté until onions are caramelized, 30 to 40 minutes, reducing heat to low as the onions soften.
• When the onions are ready, coarsely chop the livers in a food processor and place in a bowl (or chop livers with an old-fashioned manual chopper in a wooden bowl). Peel the eggs and mash with a fork in a bowl. Add to the livers. Add the onions and mix well, stirring in just enough of their cooking juices to moisten the mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover the chopped liver and let mellow in the refrigerator for at least a few hours. Remove from the refrigerator 15 minutes before serving.

CHOPPED LIVER

Steps:

• Drain the livers and saute them in 2 batches in 2 tablespoons of the chicken fat over medium-high heat, turning once, for about 5 minutes, or until just barely pink inside. Don't overcook the livers or they will be dry. Transfer them to a large bowl.
• In the same pan, saute the onions in 3 tablespoons of the chicken fat over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, or until browned. Add the Madeira and deglaze the pan, scraping the sides, for about 15 seconds. Pour into the bowl with the livers.
• Add the eggs, parsley, thyme, salt, black pepper, cayenne, and the remaining chicken fat to the bowl. Toss quickly to combine. Transfer half the mixture to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse 6 to 8 times, until coarsely chopped. Repeat with the remaining mixture. Season, to taste, and chill. Serve on crackers or matzo.

CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVER

Steps:

• Drain and pat the livers dry saute them in 2 batches in 2 Tablespoons of rendered fat over med-high heat; turning once, for about 5 minutes, or until just barley pink inside.
• Transfer them to a large bowl.
• DON'T OVERCOOK or livers will be dry.
• In the same pan, saute the onions in 3 Tablespoons of chicken fat over med-high heat for about 10 minutes or until browned.
• Add the Madeira and deglaze the pan, scraping the sides for about 15 seconds.
• Pour into the bowl with livers.
• Add the eggs, parsley, thyme, salt, black pepper, cayenne and remaining chicken fat (or melted margarine ) to the bowl.
• Toss quickly to combine.
• Transfer mixture to the bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse 6-8 times until coarsely chopped; do this in batches.
• Season to taste and chill.
• Serve on cocktail rye, crackers, toast points or matzo.
• Enjoy until next year!

CHICKEN LIVERS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND WINE-GRANDMA STYLE

Steps:

• Grab a bowl and pour some milk over the chicken livers enough to cover them.
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• After soaking the livers in milk, rinse them few times with clean water until you remove all milk. Remove the excess water with paper towels.
• Add some oil to a skillet and chop an onion.
• Add it to the skillet.
• Add the chicken livers and sauté them together until the onion gets translucent.
• Add salt and pepper, some thyme, marjoram, and a glass of white wine.
• Cover the skillet and let the liver cook on medium-low heat until the liver is done and the liquid in the pan is almost evaporated.

CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVER

Steps:

• Heat chicken fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring often, until translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until caramelized, about 25 minutes more. Add livers. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt; season with pepper. Cover; cook, stirring often, until livers are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
• Place skillet over medium heat. Add Marsala and thyme. Cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Let cool completely. Pulse pan juices, onions, livers, and eggs in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Sprinkle with remaining teaspoon salt, and season with pepper. Serve with crackers.

GRANDMA'S CHOPPED LIVER

Steps:

• Pulse eggs in a food processor until coarsely chopped and transfer to a large bowl, then chill, covered, until ready to use.
• Cook onion and garlic in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is golden, about 20 minutes.
• While onion cooks, trim and rinse livers and pat dry. (Halve any large pieces.) Add livers to onion and increase heat to moderately high, then sauté, stirring occasionally, until livers are just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes (they should not be pink in center). Transfer mixture (including oil) to a shallow plate and cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
• Pulse liver mixture in food processor until coarsely puréed, then stir into eggs, along with salt and pepper, until combined. Chill, covered, at least 1 hour, then season with more salt just before serving.