1,000 Jewish Recipes (152 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
Also known as liver pâté, this rich spread is seasoned in the French style with thyme, garlic, shallots, and a hint of cognac and white wine. To make it kosher, it is enriched with margarine rather than butter; you can substitute chicken fat or goose fat if you want. Another step done for the purpose of
kashrut
(kosher laws): the livers are broiled until thoroughly cooked.
This dish is great for special occasions. You present it in individual portions by serving it in ramekins. Serve the pâté with thin slices of French bread or toasted pita wedges.
8 ounces chicken livers
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy
1
â
4
cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
3 tablespoons olive oil or chicken fat
4 medium shallots, chopped
1 medium clove garlic, chopped
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
5 tablespoons margarine, softened, or chicken fat
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Preheat broiler with rack about 3 inches from heat source. Rinse livers and pat dry on paper towels; cut off any green spots. Put livers on foil-lined broiler rack and sprinkle with kosher salt. Broil 3 minutes or until livers brown lightly on top. Turn them over, sprinkle second side with salt, and broil 3 to 4 more minutes or until cooked through and color is no longer pink; check by cutting with a sharp knife. Discard juices from foil. Cool livers slightly.
2.
Transfer livers to a bowl. Spoon cognac, wine, and
1
â
2
teaspoon thyme over them. Cover and marinate 30 minutes to 1 hour in refrigerator.
3.
Heat oil in a small skillet. Add shallots and garlic and sauté over low heat 1 minute or until softened. Transfer shallot mixture to a bowl and let cool.
4.
Transfer livers to a food processor, discarding marinade. Puree livers in a food processor until smooth. Add shallot mixture, remaining thyme, nutmeg, and margarine and process until well blended. Adjust seasoning.
5.
Spoon into ramekins and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.
My mother and many of her friends make vegetarian "liver" pâté this way. It's easy because the only cooking necessary is sautéing the onions. The well-browned onions are combined with canned peas and chopped nuts. My mother feels that pecans are the best nut to use. And she insists that for the best texture, a meat grinder rather than a food processor should be used to blend the mixture.
Serve this pâté on a bed of lettuce garnished with tomato wedges and radishes, with fresh bread or crackers.
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
Two 15-ounce cans peas, drained
1
â
2
cup pecans
1 large hard boiled egg
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Heat oil in a large skillet, add onions and sauté over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
2.
Grind peas, pecans, and sautéed onions with their oil in a meat grinder or food processor. If using a meat grinder, grind egg with the other ingredients. If using a food processor, coarsely grate the egg, then lightly stir it into the mixture in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Serve cold.
My mother and I have an ongoing debate about the best way to make mock chopped liver. She uses green peas and pecans in her
Easy Mock Chopped Liver
, while I prefer chickpeas, green beans, and walnuts.
This version is light, as I substitute vegetable stock for part of the oil and use only a small amount of nuts. When I prepare it in cooking demonstrations, everyone loves it. By the way, I don't think it has the same flavor as chopped liver; I simply like it as a delicious appetizer. However, some of my students find it tastes just like chopped liver. One tasted it and called it "a miracle on a plate."
Serve it with fresh bread, toast, crackers, or matzo, or with a green salad.
3
â
4
pound green beans, ends removed, halved
1
1
â
2
to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans) or 3 cups cooked chickpeas
1
â
4
cup walnuts
1
â
4
cup vegetable stock or broth, or more if needed
1 large hard boiled egg or the whites of 2 large hard boiled eggs, coarsely grated
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Cook green beans in a large pan of boiling salted water about 10 minutes or until very tender. They should be more tender than usual so you can chop them easily. Rinse beans with cold water and drain well.
2.
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet, add onions, and sauté over medium heat 5 minutes. If using the smaller amount of oil, cover onions so they won't burn. Continue to sauté, stirring often, about 5 more minutes, or until golden brown.
3.
Chop green beans in a food processor. Drain chickpeas and add to processor. Add walnuts,
1
â
4
cup stock, and sautéed onions with their oil. Process until smooth. If you would like the pâté to be more moist, add more broth by tablespoons, processing after each addition. Transfer to a bowl. Lightly stir in hard boiled egg. Season with salt and pepper. Serve cold.
Eggplant, mushrooms, and plenty of sautéed onions give this spread great flavor. Serve it in scoops or oval spoonfuls on a bed of mixed baby lettuces and garnish with cherry tomatoes, or serve it as a spread with fresh or toasted pita bread.
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped
1
1
â
2
pounds eggplant, peeled and cut into
1
â
2
-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6 to 8 ounces mushrooms, diced
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 or 2 large hard boiled eggs, chopped or grated
1.
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and sauté over medium-low heat 8 minutes or until onions are soft and begin to brown. Add eggplant, salt, and pepper. Sauté 5 minutes over medium heat. Cover pan and cook over low heat, stirring often, about 15 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Add mushrooms. Cover and cook, stirring often and mashing vegetables occasionally with a wooden spoon, 15 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. If you would like a finer-textured spread, puree mixture in a food processor.
2.
Transfer mixture to a bowl and let cool. Add a pinch of cayenne. Adjust seasoning. Lightly stir in hard boiled eggs. Serve cold.
FISH APPETIZERS
This pâté is adapted from a creation of French Master Chef Fernand Chambrette, who was my teacher and mentor in Paris for nearly six years. He combined smoked salmon, poached fresh salmon, and butter and garnished the finished pâté with salmon caviar. When it was spread on good quality baguette, it was one of the best appetizers imaginable.
I now use half butter and half cream cheese instead of all butter. You can even use reduced-fat cream cheese. The pâté will still be delicious, sumptuous, and very rich. A little goes a long way. For such a tasty appetizer, it's very easy to make.
You can serve the pâté with slices of very fresh, crusty French baguette. It's also good with thin slices of small-loaf rye or pumpernickel bread, with simple crackers that are not salty, or even on bagel chips.
1
â
4
cup dry white wine
1
â
2
cup water
5 parsley stems
1 bay leaf
1 small sprig fresh thyme or
1
â
4
teaspoon dried thyme
One 10-ounce piece fresh salmon fillet or steak
1
â
2
pound lox or smoked salmon, cut into pieces
1
â
2
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
4 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into pieces
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
About 2 tablespoons salmon caviar or 1 tablespoon snipped chives
Slices of fresh French or sourdough baguette, rye bread, or pumpernickel
1.
Combine wine, water, parsley, bay leaf, and thyme in a sauté pan. Bring to a simmer. Add fresh salmon. Return to a simmer. Cover and poach over low heat about 5 minutes for fillet or 9 to 10 minutes for steak or until salmon is just tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Uncover and let cool in the poaching liquid.
2.
Remove salmon from the liquid. (You can save the liquid for use as a light fish stock.) Discard salmon skin and any bones.