Chopped liver conjures up rich family memories for me. My grandma, who we affectionately called Grandma Goody, always set out her delicious chopped liver as an appetizer for us before a family dinner. I miss my grandma so much, and can almost feel her hugs when I make this recipe.
Little did she know that when she made this recipe she was feeding her family perhaps the most nutrient dense food known to man. Liver is packed with nutrition. It has the highest amounts of vitamins and minerals in any other food source. It has abundant vitamin A, D, E, and K, high amounts of the B vitamins, particularly B12, folate, and iron. Liver contains a good dose of CoQ10, selenium, copper, and zinc. It is literally a multivitamin in a food.
This chopped liver is an excellent way to introduce liver to your diet, because it is mild tasting, a good combination between sweet from the carmelized onions and savory from the liver, schmaltz and salt. Don’t be scared to give it a try- if you are into health, this is quite possibly the healthiest food you could eat!
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed of fat and any hard parts (I order mine from White Oak Pastures or US Wellness Meats. The quality of your liver is essential!)
2 white onions, peeled, cut in half and then thinly sliced
3 hard boiled eggs
3 Tbs Chicken Schmaltz (Chicken fat- I bought mine from FatWorks)
Salt
Pepper
Trim your livers. You want to snip, with kitchen shears, any hard spots, vessels, or tendons that are on the liver. There shouldn’t be too much, especially if you are using the highest quality of chicken livers. This is gross. Get over it.
In a large pan, melt 2 T of Schmaltz over medium heat. Place your livers in the hot oil and cook until golden on one side, flip them over and cook until golden on the other side. Generously salt and pepper the livers while they are cooking. The livers should be cooked through with a little pink still on the inside.
Put the livers and the fat left in the pan into the bowl of a food processor.
In the same pan, add the onion slices, another T of Schmaltz, and cover the pan. Let it cook, undisturbed, for about 10 minutes. Then, remove the cover of the pan, turn the heat to low, give the onions a stir, and let them carmelize for about 30 minutes. This is where the magic happens. Be patient.
Add the carmelized onions and the hard boiled eggs to the food processor bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, and blend until it is a smooth consistency.
Since my daughter and I are “glutards” (gluten intolerant), I serve this with gluten free crackers and crudite. You could use any cracker or matzoh.
Enjoy this delicious, nourishing, and nutritious meal. Think of how proud it would make my grandma!
