Passover

Get Excited about Chopped Liver

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March 26, 2015
3 Comments

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Today:  With Passover around the corner, you need a chopped liver recipe that won't fail you.

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The first time I ate, and enjoyed, chopped liver was at Sammy’s Romanian on the Lower East Side of New York City. The rambunctious music, chilled vodka, and gravy boats full of schmaltz (a.k.a. chicken fat) made the experience unforgettable. Even with all the commotion, the silky smooth liver served in metal mixing bowls and dripping in schmaltz stole the show.

More: Chicken liver for dinner, but what about dessert?

Needless to say, a trip to Sammy’s is not possible every time a chopped liver craving strikes, so having a great recipe in your back pocket is necessary -- especially with Passover around the corner. This family recipe is party-worthy and, dare I say it, rivals the chopped liver at Sammy’s with a splash of sherry. The best part? It's incredibly easy to make -- simply cook chicken liver and onions in sherry, then chop them with celery, hard-boiled eggs, and salt. L'chayim!

Grandma Mary's Gehakte Leber (Chopped Liver) by louisez

Serves 6

1 pound chicken livers
2 tablespoons oil or chicken fat, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon sherry (cream or dry)
1 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
Salt and pepper, to taste

See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.

Photo by James Ransom

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3 Comments

Barb M.
Barb M. March 27, 2017
Not sure about the sherry, but this is the recipe my grandmother always made, using chicken fat. Today can you buy chicken fat?
 
GsR
GsR April 13, 2016
Chopped liver MUST be made with real schmaltz and grebbenes, period. Nothing else is acceptable. A more divisive addition is HB eggs. My bubbie (from the old country) said eggs were a filler and only for stretching when you did nit have enough livers. Never ever used in my family. That would almost a bad a putting sugar in gefilte fish !
 
amysarah
amysarah March 26, 2015
I haven't been to Sammy's since dinosaurs walked Central Park - nice memory. Do they still put seltzer siphons on every table? Anyway, I've always thought well made chopped liver rivals any French pate. (No idea why I only make it at Passover.) Not sure about the celery, but the sherry is intriguing - I often make chicken liver mousse with sherry, madeira or cognac, but never thought of adding it to chopped liver. This could happen very soon! (Also unfamiliar with broiling the liver. I always saw it sauteed. Maybe this depends on where in Eastern Europe your family came from. Interesting.)