Shared by David and Susan Korn
Schmaltzy Chopped Liver
Yield: 6-8 servingsTime: 30 minSchmaltz-laced chopped liver has a lengthy legacy in Susan Korn’s family. The force behind accessories brand Susan Alexandra proclaims: “Chopped Liver must be made by my dad. I have never tasted anything as delicious as his. He readily offers his trade secrets (a hand crank meat grinder! onions must be yellow, not white).” Still, she’s never dared to try to make it on her own.
The recipe traces back to Susan’s great-grandmother Sadie, who was born in 1875 in Kyiv, when it was part of the Russian Empire. She and Susan’s great-grandfather Jacob (who went by George) “were urban people, not truly shtetl-based,” David adds. They married in 1896 and moved to Columbus around 1900. When Susan’s grandmother Harriet, the youngest of their six children, was growing up, she watched her mother make the chopped liver for Friday night dinner.
That tradition was passed down a generation, David explains. “Just as it was a part of the traditional Shabbos meal in her childhood, it was in mine too.”
Cooking note: While this recipe will work with a food processor, use a meat grinder if you have one. Grind each component separately (livers, onions, eggs, and finally saltine crackers or matzah) and then mix to combine in a large bowl. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.
Learn more about Susan and her family on her podcast episode, Susan Alexandra is Her Grandmother’s “American Dream.”
Family Journey
Kyiv, UkraineColumbus, OH
New York City
Ingredients
- 1 pound raw chicken liver
- 4-6 tablespoons schmaltz
- 2 yellow onions
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3-4 eggs, hard boiled
- 4-6 saltine crackers or ½ sheet matzah
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse and dry the livers. Remove fibrous and fatty skin-like membranes
Step 2
In a saute pan, heat the schmaltz over medium heat. Gently cook the livers until they are cooked through, but not browned or crisped. Remove the livers and set aside to cool.
Step 3
In the same pan without removing the schmaltz, saute the onions over medium heat with ½ teaspoon salt until they are very soft and golden.
Step 4
In a food processor, grind the livers, onions, 1 teaspoon of salt, saltine crackers or matzah and boiled eggs.
Step 5
Add more schmaltz and salt as needed.
