Chopped Liver

A traditional Jewish delicacy made with sautéed chicken livers, caramelized onions, and hard-boiled eggs. This rich and savory spread is perfect served with challah bread.

8 servings

2 hr 46 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•5 whole organic free-range eggs
•1 lb chicken livers, trimmed (remove any green spots carefully)
•2 large large onions, sliced
•1 tablespoon olive oil (or 1 tablespoon schmaltz, see below)
•2 tablespoons gribenes
•½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
•2 tablespoons Kiddush wine, brandy or chicken stock
•1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1 pinch paprika
•to garnish

Cooking Instructions

1.
Hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes, drain, and set aside to cool. In a large frying pan, gently cook the onions in the oil (or schmaltz) until soft and golden. Increase the heat, add the livers, and stir for a few seconds so that they absorb the flavor of the onion. Either pour the mixture into a food processor and process to a coarse or smooth paste with the gribenes (if using), or pass the mixture through an old-fashioned grinder. Scoop into a bowl. Grate the eggs on the coarse side of a grater and add to the bowl, reserving a little of the grated egg for the garnish. Stir in the parsley and fold in gently. Moisten the mixture with some wine, brandy, or chicken stock, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until needed. Serve in scoops on individual plates topped with a little grated egg and paprika for color, and generous pieces of fresh Friday-night challah.
45 min
2.
Remove the spare fat from a raw chicken and place in a pan. (There is usually a lump of fat around the neck, in an older bird at least.) Add 1 cup (8 oz) dairy-free margarine, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 large onion (with the skin left on to enhance the golden color). Remove the skin from the chicken, cut into smallish pieces, and add to the pan. Set over very low heat and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours until all of the fat has been rendered gently out of the chicken skin. Remove the skin from the pan and drain on paper towels to form gribenes or crackling. Pour the fat (schmaltz) into a heavy-duty glass dish and store in the fridge until needed*. As the fat cools, a rich jelly will collect at the bottom of the dish. This jelly forms a delicious base for soup or sauces.
120 min
3.
The fat (schmaltz) will keep for up to 6 weeks in the fridge. Store the gribenes in the fridge.
1 min

Ingredients

•5 whole organic free-range eggs

•1 lb chicken livers, trimmed (remove any green spots carefully)

•2 large large onions, sliced

•1 tablespoon olive oil (or 1 tablespoon schmaltz, see below)

•2 tablespoons gribenes

•½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

•2 tablespoons Kiddush wine, brandy or chicken stock

•1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper

•1 pinch paprika

•to garnish

Cooking Instructions

Hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes, drain, and set aside to cool. In a large frying pan, gently cook the onions in the oil (or schmaltz) until soft and golden. Increase the heat, add the livers, and stir for a few seconds so that they absorb the flavor of the onion. Either pour the mixture into a food processor and process to a coarse or smooth paste with the gribenes (if using), or pass the mixture through an old-fashioned grinder. Scoop into a bowl. Grate the eggs on the coarse side of a grater and add to the bowl, reserving a little of the grated egg for the garnish. Stir in the parsley and fold in gently. Moisten the mixture with some wine, brandy, or chicken stock, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until needed. Serve in scoops on individual plates topped with a little grated egg and paprika for color, and generous pieces of fresh Friday-night challah.

45 min

Remove the spare fat from a raw chicken and place in a pan. (There is usually a lump of fat around the neck, in an older bird at least.) Add 1 cup (8 oz) dairy-free margarine, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 large onion (with the skin left on to enhance the golden color). Remove the skin from the chicken, cut into smallish pieces, and add to the pan. Set over very low heat and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours until all of the fat has been rendered gently out of the chicken skin. Remove the skin from the pan and drain on paper towels to form gribenes or crackling. Pour the fat (schmaltz) into a heavy-duty glass dish and store in the fridge until needed*. As the fat cools, a rich jelly will collect at the bottom of the dish. This jelly forms a delicious base for soup or sauces.

120 min

The fat (schmaltz) will keep for up to 6 weeks in the fridge. Store the gribenes in the fridge.

1 min