AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: The Whole Beast (Recipe: Chopped Liver) DATE: 3/25/2010 03:17:00 PM ----- BODY:

Passover preparations serendipitously began yesterday. As I was shopping for regular staples and dinner, I noticed that whole chickens were on sale. At $1.69/pound at Whole Paycheck Foods, I decided to stock up. And then I remembered that I have 10 guests coming for the first seder next week. This was the perfect time to start in on the chicken soup that would provide the medium for my matzah balls.

I bought 3 chickens, and immediately got to work breaking them down. I separated the birds into 4 groups – breasts, thighs, livers and, of course, stock parts – the bones, drums and wings that will go into making the chicken soup. After all, there’s so much flavor in the bones. Industrious chefs have long known that the bones make the best, most flavorful stock, even more so than the meat. And I must confess, I’m not a big fan of chicken drums or wings (unless they’re deep-fried) so they go into the stock-pile as well.

The chicken breasts and thighs were immediately frozen for a later meal.

I tossed the “stock-parts” with some salt and pepper, and roasted them in the oven. This accomplished two functions. First, the fat rendered away from the bones which will yield me a cleaner stock. As a bonus, I now have schmaltz for my matzah balls. Best of all, the bones achieve a dark, rich color that will make for a more flavorful stock.

Remember the chicken drums I tossed into my stock pile? When the bones have finished roasting, after about 30 minutes at 400F, the chicken legs are cooked through. I pick the meat off the bone and save that separately to put in my matzah ball soup. If I were to put them in the stock pot along with the bones, I wouldn’t have the meat for my soup. Yes, I could fetch it out after the stock was finished. But that would be more hassle than it’s worth. But more unfortunate, the meat would have lost all its flavor to the broth. Better to pick it out now, and add it back at the end.

Inside the chickens is a little pouch that contains the gizzards and neck. I never know how many livers I might get. Though each chicken only have one, the little pouch could have three or none. In this case, I had three in each: enough to make chopped liver. Chicken liver mousse with cognac and butter would also be delicious, but I was feeling particularly Jewish.

I also felt particularly thrifty and resourceful last night. From my three birds, I yielded:

6 boneless chicken breasts (retail value: $22)
6 chicken thighs (retail value: $8)
½ pint chopped liver (retail value: $2)
Chicken schmaltz (priceless)
1+ gallon chicken stock/soup (retail value: $12)

Chopped Liver
This recipe could not be simpler… with only 4 ingredients. I prefer chopping it by hand – the flavor and texture is better. Some people “chop” it in the food processor.

3 large eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or chicken fat
1 large onions, diced
1 lb. fresh chicken livers
salt and pepper to taste

1. Put eggs in cold water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 1 minute. Cover the pot and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain the eggs and place under cold running water until cold. Peel.

2. Meanwhile, put chicken livers on a paper towel to blot dry. Season with salt and pepper. heat oil or chicken fat in a large sauté pan. Add onions, and sauté for 5 minutes, or until onions start to brown. Season the livers with salt and pepper and add them to the pan. Cook until they are cooked through and firm, about 5 minutes.

3. Chop everything together, by hand or in a food processor. Season to taste with salt and pepper.



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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous noble pig DATE:3/26/2010 01:17:00 PM I love chopped liver...I mean love it. You did well with all your chickens!! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous Food Vigilante DATE:3/27/2010 12:26:00 AM Many kudos for processing the whole chickens yourself! Such a great idea that more people need to consider.

I'll be back!

FV ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:3/27/2010 03:23:00 PM Quite a project, but I know what you mean about the satisfaction you get from making the most out of your food purchase. Happy Passover, Julia! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Anonymous tasteofbeirut DATE:3/28/2010 09:42:00 PM i am impressed with all that work! Happy Passover to you! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Lori Lynn DATE:4/03/2010 05:52:00 PM I hope you're having a very Happy Passover Julia.
We love chopped liver! I'm sure your simple recipe was excellent. We had one a lot more complicated, but that was the job for my cousin Davida.
LL ----- -------- AUTHOR: Julia TITLE: Happy Food (Recipe: Crispy Chicken Livers with BBQ Sauce) DATE: 10/18/2009 08:14:00 AM ----- BODY:

Maybe it’s a Jewish thing, but I love chicken livers (think: chopped liver on a bagel…mmmm!). Most Americans don’t like them, or any organ meat for that matter. I’ve always been confounded by this – where people draw the line that they’ll eat certain parts of the animal, but not others. It seems random to me. After all, the animal has been sacrificed, we should enjoy it all! But I digress….

I consider liver “happy” food. Yes, it’s weighted with fat and cholesterol, but it’s also jam-packed with iron, vitamin A and all the B-vitamins – those that boost energy and fight depression.

I don’t often see chicken livers at the market (or rather, I don’t see them more than one day before they expire). When I do, I snatch them up.

East Coast Grill pairs grilled chicken livers with “sweet and sour bacon greens” and a chipotle barbecue sauce. I decide to make a variation of this with the kale in my garden and a sweet potato from the market. The ketchup I made at the end of the summer morphed into barbecue sauce with the addition of a little chili paste.


Fried Chicken Livers with Garlic-Chili Greens and BBQ Sauce

½ cup ketchup, preferably homemade
1 tbs. lemon juice
1 chipotle chili minced (more or less to taste)
1 tbs. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
½ tsp. chili flakes (more or less to taste)
1 bunch Tuscan kale, finely sliced
½ tbs. red wine vinegar
½ pound chicken livers
2 tbs. flour
2 tbs. corn starch
3 tbs. plain oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Combine ketchup, lemon juice and chipotle. Set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil. When hot, add garlic and cook until lightly golden. Add greens and chili flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted and tender, about 3 minutes. Add vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Drain chicken livers on a paper towel. Season with salt and pepper on all sides.
4. Combine flour and corn starch in a bowl. Add salt and pepper. Toss chicken livers in flour mixture to thoroughly coat.
5. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add plain oil. Add livers and cook over high heat for 3 minutes. Turn over, and cook for three minutes more.

Serve chicken livers with wilted greens and barbecue sauce. To make it a complete meal, serve with sweet potato puree.

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----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Heather DATE:10/18/2009 08:18:00 PM i wish i liked livers. i love the idea of not letting any part of the animal go to waste - i just can't get into the texture... this looks lovely though! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger adele DATE:10/19/2009 11:03:00 AM I love liver. I don't get the squeamishness about it, either. This sounds delicious! ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types DATE:10/19/2009 07:04:00 PM My grandmother would make chopped chicken livers, which were delicious. I haven't had it in years. ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger PG DATE:10/21/2009 09:28:00 PM I don't know.....I'm just not a fan of chicken liver. Hang on...I like pate -- is that chicken liver? ----- COMMENT: AUTHOR:Blogger Julia DATE:10/23/2009 04:24:00 PM Heather -- I will give you that... it does have an odd texture... but I love that.

adele -- glad to have you on my side. :)

T.W. -- sounds like a fond memory.

Psychgrad -- Pate usually has some kind of liver (pork, duck, beef or chicken) in it... mixed in with plenty of fat. ----- --------