Wendy's Family Chopped Liver
Not a recipe I make every day, but for holidays or company dinners as a treat.
Not a recipe I make every day, but for holidays or company dinners as a treat.
- Carbohydrate 2.20202125 g
- Cholesterol 242.465104166667 mg
- Fat 7.20000666666667 g
- Fiber 0.373645842234294 g
- Protein 8.62866875 g
- Saturated Fat 2.22928666666667 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (81g)
- Sodium 72.4268333333333 mg
- Sugar 1.82837540776571 g
- Trans Fat 0.9269725 g
- Calories 108 calories
Step-by-step
- A FEW CAVEATS BEFORE WE BEGIN:
- You have to be careful to not let everything get to finely choped so it turns into a pate consistancy, so follow the instructions to chop each ingredient separately. Hand chopping is best or gently pulse your food processor.
- The proporions are a bit inexact as this is a taste and feel "old country" recipe with a great tolerance for variation.
- Using different livers and combinations of livers will vary both texture and taste. You have to find what you like.
- In kosher cooking liver is ALWAYS salted and broiled to remove much of the blood. Sauteing the liver would give a different taste and texture that would not be "traditional", even if you like it that way.
- PROCEDURE:
- Chop the eggs in the food processor and remove to a large enough bowl to hold and hand mix all ingredients.
- Chop onions in food processor and put into a heated pan with the chicken fat (non-stick can be useful here) and fry, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until well browned, but not burnt (darker than "golden.") Remove to bowl with eggs.
- While onions are cooking, salt liver(s) lightly and broil turning once and watching to prevent burning. Remove to food processor and chop - NOT FINELY-, remove to bowl with eggs and onions including all the fat drippings.
- Add salt and pepper adn mix very well so eggs kind of disappear. If you like you can add more chicken fat at this point. Taste and correct seasonings. chill, serve with crackers, on bread or as a salad on lettuce surrounded by tomatoes, peppers, radishes, cukes, or whatever you like. Suitable for either a first course or a light salad meal.
- HOME RENDERED CHICKEN FAT (Schmaltz)
- Collect in the freezer, fat and excess skin from chickens as you clean them. When you have a goodly amount (more than a cup or so) place fat in a large (1 qt or more) pyrex measuring cup, cover tightly and microwave for 5-6 minutes. Look and see if most of the fat has been rendered from the globules and skin, if not, microwave more. Depending on how much you start with, this can take up to a half an hour! When the fat is mostly rendered and the globules and skin are still yellow, add 1 finely sliced onion, cover and microwave until the globules , skin and onions are well browned, but not burnt. (careful here as it can start to burn rapidly). Pour off liquid fat into a jar and add some salt. This is the chicken fat. The remaining cracklings are delcious just eaten out of hand, put on a cracker, or on rye bread. (Never white bread) :-)
- Traditionally this was made on the stove top and the pan was impossible to clean, so I devised the microwave method.
- If you find this too big a bother, you can make a substitute using cooking oil (not olive) and flavoring the liver with chicken buillion powder or smashed cubes in place of some of the salt called for. Not as good, but easier on the cook and the heart.
- Each (app 1/3 cup) serving contains an estimated:
- Cals: 67, FatCals: 35, TotFat: 4g
- SatFat: 1g, PolyFat: 1g, MonoFat: 2g
- Chol: 133mg, Na: 79mg, K: 88mg
- TotCarbs: 2g, Fiber: 0g, Sugars: 1g
- NetCarbs: 2g, Protein: 5g
Rendered chicken fat provides the foundational flavor profile that binds this entire dish together, carrying the savory notes across every component. Collecting skin and excess fat in the freezer over time is the most efficient way to gather raw materials without buying extra poultry. When utilizing the microwave technique described below, processing the fat in a one-quart Pyrex measuring cup for five to six minutes initiates the rendering process safely. Adding a finely sliced onion once the liquid begins to clear ensures the resulting schmaltz absorbs deep aromatics while remaining clear and pourable.
Achieving the correct consistency requires strict adherence to sequencing rather than running all components through a food processor simultaneously. Hand-chopping or utilizing brief, controlled pulses prevents the mixture from breaking down into a uniform paste. Hard-boiled eggs must be processed first and transferred to a large mixing bowl before onions are introduced. Onions require persistent stirring during browning to develop deep color without burning, which would impart bitter notes to the finished spread.
Broiling the liver directly on a baking sheet removes excess blood cleanly while maintaining a distinct traditional flavor that pan-searing cannot replicate. Lightly salting the pieces beforehand draws out moisture efficiently under the broiler element. Watch the meat carefully during this step, as poultry and beef livers cook rapidly within three to five minutes depending on thickness. Incorporating the warm pan drippings directly into the bowl with the eggs and onions integrates all rendered fats seamlessly.
Coarse ground black pepper balances the richness of the eggs and schmaltz, while additional salt should be adjusted only after the mixture has chilled for at least one hour. Serving the dish cold alongside crisp crackers or fresh crudités provides necessary textural contrast against the soft spread. Storing the leftovers in an airtight glass container for up to three days preserves the flavor without dulling the spices.
