Chopped Liver Italian Style Fegato Alle Uova Sode Food

CHOPPED LIVER ITALIAN STYLE (FEGATO ALLE UOVA SODE)

Steps:

• Using 2 sauté pans, divide the oil or fat between them.
• Add the onions to one pan and sauté over medium heat until they are dark, golden brown, 15-20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in the other pan, sauté the livers over medium heat until they are medium cooked, 5-7 minutes.
• There should still be quite a bit of pink, but they should not show any signs of blood.
• During the last few minutes of cooking, add the white wine and allow most of it to evaporate.
• Remove from the heat and chop the livers coarsely.
• Reserve the pan juices.
• Peel and chop the eggs (if you use a food processor, pulse them briefly in small batches: you do not want them to lose their chunky texture).
• In a bowl, combine the warm onions, livers, and eggs.
• Add all of the pan juices, salt and pepper and mix well.
• If the mixture seems a little dry, add more melted fat or oil.
• Serve with bread, crackers or matzoh.

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 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.

LIVER WITH ONIONS AND VINEGAR (FEGATO ALLA VENEZIANA)

Steps:

• Trim liver of veins and membranes. Cut on the diagonal into wide, 1/4-inch slices.
• Melt the butter in a large skillet. Fry the onions in the butter over medium heat, stirring often, until nicely browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and vinegar. Set aside.
• Dredge liver pieces with seasoned flour, and shake off excess. In a second large skillet, melt the clarified butter over high heat, and when very hot, drop in the liver pieces, a few at a time. Fry 30 seconds or so on each side. Remove to a serving dish. Liver should still be raw in the center.
• When all liver pieces have been fried, place the onions in the skillet containing the liver juices and reheat the onions thoroughly, stirring often. Add the liver to the onions, toss briefly to heat through, and turn out onto the serving dish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

CHOPPED LIVER

Steps:

• Rinse livers under cold water to remove blood; drain. Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add schmaltz and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. Add caramelized onions. Cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.
• Add livers to skillet and season with salt. Cook, stirring, until livers begin to brown and insides are pink throughout, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer livers to a plate to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Add chopped onions and cook, stirring, until golden brown; remove from heat and set sauteed onions aside.
• Place cooled livers and caramelized onions in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until well combined. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in hard-boiled eggs, sauteed onions; season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before using.

SLICED CALF'S LIVER WITH GOLDEN ONIONS

Steps:

• Rinse liver to remove any traces of blood and discard membrane and any tough veins. Cut crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices.
• Cook onions in 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, 1 minute. Cover skillet and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm, covered.
• Pat half of liver slices dry and toss with salt and pepper to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté seasoned liver, shaking skillet and turning liver, until browned on both sides but still pink inside, about 2 minutes. Put cooked liver on top of onions and cover.
• Add water to skillet and deglaze, scraping up brown bits and boiling until liquid is slightly reduced. Pour sauce over cooked liver and wipe skillet clean. Sauté remaining liver as above, then add rest of liver with onions and parsley, tossing briefly.

MOCK CHOPPED LIVER

Steps:

• Place water, lentils, and bouillon cubes in a pot. Cover pot and cook about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain well.
• Heat oil in skillet, saute onion until it becomes translucent.
• In an electric food processor, grind lentils, onions and walnuts until your desired consistency for the pate is reached. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill before serving.

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.

CHOPPED LIVER

Steps:

• Hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes, drain, and set aside to cool. In a large frying pan, gently cook the onions in the oil (or schmaltz) until soft and golden. Increase the heat, add the livers, and stir for a few seconds so that they absorb the flavor of the onion. Either pour the mixture into a food processor and process to a coarse or smooth paste with the gribenes (if using), or pass the mixture through an old-fashioned grinder. Scoop into a bowl. Grate the eggs on the coarse side of a grater and add to the bowl, reserving a little of the grated egg for the garnish. Stir in the parsley and fold in gently. Moisten the mixture with some wine, brandy, or chicken stock, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until needed. Serve in scoops on individual plates topped with a little grated egg and paprika for color, and generous pieces of fresh Friday-night challah.
• To make gribenes and schmaltz
• Remove the spare fat from a raw chicken and place in a pan. (There is usually a lump of fat around the neck, in an older bird at least.) Add 1 cup (8 oz) dairy-free margarine, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 large onion (with the skin left on to enhance the golden color). Remove the skin from the chicken, cut into smallish pieces, and add to the pan. Set over very low heat and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours until all of the fat has been rendered gently out of the chicken skin. Remove the skin from the pan and drain on paper towels to form gribenes or crackling. Pour the fat (schmaltz) into a heavy-duty glass dish and store in the fridge until needed*. As the fat cools, a rich jelly will collect at the bottom of the dish. This jelly forms a delicious base for soup or sauces.
• The fat (schmaltz) will keep for up to 6 weeks in the fridge. Store the gribenes in the fridge.

ITALIAN-STYLE BEEF LIVER

Steps:

• Combine flour and salt; toss with liver. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet, cook liver until no longer pink. Remove and set aside., In the same skillet, saute onion and celery in remaining oil until tender. Stir in tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add liver and heat through. Discard bay leaf., Serve over spaghetti; sprinkle with cheese.

PASSOVER AND ALL YEAR VEGETARIAN CHOPPED LIVER ( MUSHROOMS )

Steps:

• Fry the onions and mushrooms in the margarine until the onion turns golden.
• Mix, in a food processor, onion, mushroom, hard-cooked eggs and walnuts.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Refrigerate.