David Rubel's

What's For Dinner?

3/29/06 

Libby’s Chopped Liver

This recipe comes from my friend Libby Helpern, who has been making it since before I was born. You can simplify its preparation by using a food processor but resist the temptation. With liver, hand-chopping is best.

• 1 large onion
• olive oil
• 1 lb chicken livers
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• kosher salt

1. Chop the onion rather finely. Reserving one-third, saute the rest in about two tablespoons of olive oil over medium-low heat. When the onion turns a rich golden brown (after about 10 minutes), remove it from the skillet and set it aside to cool.

2. Using the same skillet (and adding a little more oil, if necessary), saute the chicken livers over medium heat until firm but still a touch pink, about 4-5 minutes. (Overcooking the livers makes them tough.) Set them aside to cool.

3.Using a chopping bowl or a large cutting board, chop the livers and onion together by hand. Gradually add the hard-boiled eggs, then the raw onion. Sample as you go, seasoning with salt and adding more oil to suit your taste.

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Tips

* Here’s a foolproof way for hard-boiling eggs: Place them in a single layer in a saucepan and add enough cold water so that they’re covered by at least two inches. Partially cover the saucepan and bring the water to a full boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the eggs cook an additional 15 minutes. Then rinse the eggs in cold water to stop the cooking process.

* The first time I made this recipe, I chopped two onions and boiled a couple of extra eggs so that I could easily adjust the proportions as I went along. I recommend that you do this as well. You’re much more likely to play around with and get a better, more personal result if you have the extra fixings at hand.

* Traditionally, this recipe is made not with olive oil but with schmaltz (rendered chicken fat). Should you be roasting a chicken in the near future, save the fat that collects in the bottom of the roasting pan. Refrigerate it in a small bowl and use it for all or part of the olive oil in this recipe.

If you have tried one of these recipes and have an improvement or tip or variation to suggest, please e-mail David at dinner@wamc.org. Also feel free to send along your own family cuisine recipes. You can even request dishes that you'd like David to present in the future.

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David Rubel is president of Agincourt Press, a book production company in Chatham, New York. He spends his days writing American history, then heads home after work to cook for his wife and two young children. His most recent book is The Story of America (DK, 2002).