In our family we’re a mixed bag as far as religion is concerned. My husband, Michael, was Jewish. I am Episcopalian. My son-in-law’s father was a Lutheran minister. My daughter finds truth and power in Buddhist principals. My granddaughters attend a Seven Day Adventist school. And just recently, I’ve found hope in the writings of Pope Francis.
If there really is a limb, we’re way out there.
However, the religion and culture that has most impacted my life the past twenty-five years is Judaism. One facet of that impact, of course, is the food of observances and celebrations. Soon after our arrival in Aspen in 1988, Michael and I were embraced by the local Jewish community. I am comforted by knowing he enjoyed the retirement of his dreams here and those friends contributed mightily to that joy.
Mme. Maman’s Chopped Chicken Liver Paté
Which brings me to chopped chicken liver.
This week’s French Fridays with Dorie recipe is Mme. Sonia Maman’s Chopped Liver. Although I always contributed food to those parties, I left the chopped liver to the pros. My speciality was Haroses, a mixture of apples, nuts, wine and cinnamon used at Passover Seder. I also participated in the brisket bake-offs. My arm still has the burn marks to prove it.
The chicken liver mixture spread on pumpernickel rye bread
I never had made chopped liver. Kudos to Mme. Maman for substituting a heart-healthier peanut (or, grapeseed) oil for the traditional schmaltz which is rendered chicken fat. Her recipe is simple. Cook 2 chopped onions in oil until nicely browned. Remove the onions from the pan to drain and add the chicken livers to brown also. Because I wanted a paté rather than coarsely chopped livers, I threw the onions, livers, and seasonings into the food processor and did the blitz. After stirring two chopped hard-boiled eggs into the mixture, I covered it tightly before placing in the fridge.
Although this is tasty (and, I took a bite), I realized this stuff could kill you. That’s when I called Mindy, one of my younger, health-conscious Jewish friends to ask if chopped livers graced her table and those of her friends. Her distaste for chicken livers came through humorously but loud and clear.
Vegetarian Chopped Liver, a healthier alternative and mighty tasty
“Would you like me to send you my vegetarian version?” she asked. “It’s almost, almost as good as the real thing. Whenever I make it, it’s always eaten up.”
She quickly e-mailed me the recipe, “Here we go, Mary!” she wrote. “It’s yummmmmy!!!!!”
Vegetarian Chopped Liver
Ingredients:
1 slice pumpernickel bread
1 15 oz. can Le Sueur peas, drained
1 hard boiled egg, chopped
1 onion, chopped and sauteed in grapeseed oil
1/2 cup chopped, roasted walnuts
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Throw the bread, peas, and onions in a food processor and pulse into a mixture. Salt and pepper liberally to taste. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the egg and walnuts. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for two to three hours before serving.
In my taste-off, the peas held their own with the livers. Admittedly, because it was “almost, almost as good”, my heart has to belong to healthy.
French Fridays with Dorie, is an international cooking group working its way through Dorie Greenspan’s latest cookbook “Around My French Table”. If you would like to see how my colleagues dealt with their livers, go to our FFWD link.
Wow, thanks for the vegetarian recipe!
I never really think about the health merits of chopped liver. Growing up, liver was an affordable and nutritious protein which my mother made the most of within the limited budget. So I always think of liver as nutritious (iron! protein!) food in the hard times. Thank you for providing a vegetarian alternative. Do you still observe Jewish holidays? I’m sure the scars from brisket bake-offs each told a great story…
Yes, liver is high in iron and protein. I think it is the “schmaltz” factor that ramped up the discussion questioning the health virtues of chopped chicken livers. Coming to “its” defense, Michael Ruhlman recently published an e-cookbook entitled “The Book of Schmaltz: A Love Song to a Forgotten Fat”.
Hmmmm….I wonder if Bill would touch the vegetarian version. I think I’ll just be grateful he ate some of the real deal. We actually grew up celebrating Holy Thursday with a seder meal…but chopped liver was never part of the menu 🙂
I love liver…so this pate was a wonderful treat. I make liver so infrequently, I just choose to enjoy it when I am able to, and not think of the ill effects! However, your friends mock chicken liver pate sounds very good and interesting! I’ll have to give it a try. I did enjoy this one very much! Have a great week, Mary! Glad you got it up! I am sure next week may be a pass for me ….Bill really dislikes onions!
Loved what you shared about your family’s background and personal selections in religion. Aside from the obvious benefits of practicing some faith, I imagine the recipes and traditions gleaned from all of these sources make for some pretty amazing family holidays. How fabulous. I also loved hearing about how Michael enjoyed his retirement in a new area of friends, during a time of life when I imagine friends make a pretty big difference. Not that there is ever a time that a friend wouldn’t help the quality of life, but I think when you are older and younger and have the time and energy to apply to wonderful friendships- it must be the most meaningful. And while I can not say I am on “team liver”, your reminder about the health issues has given me ammo for opting out 🙂 Stay warm and enjoy looking at the gorgeous snow from inside….
Oh man, I wish I had seen her vegetarian version up front! (Although, I did like my mushroom version quite a bit).
Cooked to death liver and onions was a staple of my childhood. I have yet to recover from it.
Scars earned in the kitchen are noble and should be born with pride 🙂
Chopped liver on pumpernickel rye, what’s not to like. We love chicken livers so this was
not a problem, but this is the tastiest one yet. On to the steamed onions….
Have a great week.
Mme Mamam’s recipe (not Mindy’s) sounds just like my Moms except she used schmaltz. Not bad for a little Baptist girl from Arkansas (she converted). I grew up on this stuff and actually love it. BTW and obviously, I don’t think it will kill you right away.
Great post
your sidekick and co-pilot, Donna
I understand the heart wants what the heart wants but I am giggling a bit at the whole notion of Vegetarian Chopped Liver! It is akin to the “Mexican Pizza” that the bodega downstairs sells at lunchtime. No such thing. But where we can agree is the culinary enrichment that comes from marrying into another culture! This is one area where I have done precious little exploringo n my blog but I really should. Working through these flavors we had absolutely NO exposure to as children is such an adventure! I’m so glad that you got to work your way through this one and touch in with these memories. Now where can I buy schmaltz at retail? 🙂
Somehow, I just can’t get my arms around a vegan chopped liver. Call it a Veggie hummus if you like but don’t call it chopped liver!
We have always loved the taste of chopped liver how ever we were always careful not to overdo it because of the health issues involved in overeating liver. One of the best store-bought chopped livers we ever had was from a local ShopRite supermarket in NJ last September. Harris ate so much of it that he wound up with the gout attack which almost canceled our trip to Paris. Oy Vey! Thank goodness for a heavy dose of Alopurinol to assuage the attack.
I never made chopped liver but my sister’s mother-in-law brought it to every holiday dinner. She made it using 1 pound chicken livers sautéed in 1 Tbsp oil with 1/2 chopped onion and then “smashed”, seven hard-boiled eggs chopped with another 1/2 onion, raw, and mixed it all with mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. It was always good and never too thick.
But I did make a wonderful chicken liver pate which you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy! It was made with chicken livers, Calvados brandy, currants, butter and some other ingredients I cannot remember. They were all cooked together, puréed and put into a fabulous pate mold. The exact recipe must be in my NJ cooking school notebook. When I go back East, I will retrieve it and send it to you!
For All My Readers’ Information: Elaine is one of my dearest and loyal friends here in Aspen and one of my lifelines to the local Jewish community. She also is a splendid cook. I think her chicken liver paté sounds heavenly and will keep buggin’ her until I receive the recipe and can share it with all of you.
Kudos for making this. I had to skip this one.
Ok now *I* need to try this veggie version at some point too! Sounds great!
I M definitely a chicken liver aficionado, in small, well separated doses (in consideration of heart health). I was surprised I liked it when I first tried it. I spent so much time as a kid avoiding my grandmother’s versions. I will admit to making the non-French (Jewish) version with schmaltz on occasion, but again, not weekly, more like quarterly. I’m a bit skeptical about the veggie version. Now you can expand what you bring to holiday dinners and be the chopped liver chef!
I will be waiting for Elaine’s pate recipe! With information changing so rapidly these days about what constitutes a healthy diet I don’t even know where liver falls on the scale these days. After my dad’s heart attack in the early 80s he was told to never again eat coconut or use coconut oil, one of his favorite foods! Now we’re told how good it is for our brains; are we clogging our arteries, though? Its enough to send me to bed with a plate of fudge! We only eat liver a few times a year but love it we do. You have lovely memories and Haroses is intriguing. I need to investigate. Also, I have never heard the words brisket bake-off used together but I love both. Guess you can tell I don’t have a lot of Jewish friends. My loss I think. I received the info you sent and Gary and I are planning a trip when it warms a bit. That is if I friend and I don’t make it first! Looks wonderful. Thank you Mary!