David Tobias’s Papa Harold’s Chopped Chicken Liver Pate

When I was a child, my mother served chopped chicken liver when she had dinner parties. I loved to sneak into the kitchen and eat huge amounts of it. So naturally when I was looking for a recipe, I called my mother, who confessed to me that the recipe wasn’t hers. The dish was purchased from a store and called Mrs. Goldberg’s Chopped Chicken Liver Pate. Alas, I haven’t been able to find Mrs. Goldberg or her chopped chicken liver pate.
I got this recipe from David Tobias, who makes it for every Jewish holiday and serves it with roasted red peppers.

Makes 1½ to 2 cups.

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 to 5 small onions (sweet or yellow), finely chopped
2 pounds chicken livers, trimmed and patted dry
6 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
Sweet sherry to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. Place a large skillet over medium heat and, when it is hot add the oil. Add the onions and cook stirring, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Set aside.

3. Place the livers on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Change the setting to broil and broil until slightly crispy. Remove from the oven and drain on paper towels.

4. Place the onions, livers, and eggs in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until the mixture has a slightly chunky consistency. Season with the sherry, salt, and pepper.

5. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate overnight.

Serve with small squares of rye bread.

From Party Dips! 50 Zippy, Zesty, Spicy, Savory, Tasty, Tempting Dips (The Harvard Common Press, 2004)