Changing chopped liver

Erez’s chopped liver (photo credit: Daniel Layla, courtesy Janna Gur)

Passover is one of those holidays that tends to fan the food memories: Grandma’s homemade gefilte fish, Mom’s light-as-a-feather matza balls, the walnut cake that calls for a dozen eggs.

For food writer and cookbook author Janna Gur, Passover is all about chopped liver, that quintessentially Jewish food that technically requires no alterations whatsoever for this legume-less holiday.

As the woman considered one of the Israelis responsible for turning around Israeli cuisine, nay, for helping to create the concept now known as Israeli cuisine, she included four versions of the delicacy in “The Book of New Israeli Food,” her encyclopedia of what Israelis eat and cook.

When asked for her favorite Passover recipe, she didn’t hesitate to recommend the version created by Erez Komarovsky — the chef known for creating the Lechem Erez artisanal bread chain — that is made with leeks instead of onions.

“In his version of this Jewish classic, he replaces fried onions with oodles of slowly sauteed leeks, chops livers with a knife (or crushes them a mortar and pestle) and serves the dish with spicy beet chutney,” she wrote on her website.

It’s a relatively straightforward preparation, and like many of Komarovsky’s recipes, has a few significant alterations that refresh this traditional dish. As for the beet chutney, included here as well, it’s a great option for vegetarians who will stay far away from the liver but are looking for something to spread on their matza. It makes a great accompaniment to gefilte fish as well.

Erez’s Chopped Liver

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2 lb, 4 oz) fresh clean chicken livers
• 3/4 cup fruity olive oil
• 5-6 large leeks (white and green parts) thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon whole white peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon whole green peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seeds (these can be omitted for those who don’t eat kitniyot on Passover)
• coarse sea salt

1. Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a large skillet or wide shallow pan and gently sauté the leeks uncovered for half an hour until they are very soft, making sure they don’t brown.
2. Crush peppercorns, cumin and mustard seeds with a mortar and pestle or in a coffee/spice grinder.
3. Brush livers with a little oil and coat them with spices.
4. Thoroughly heat a heavy iron cast skillet and brown the livers 2-3 minutes on each side, being careful not overcook them.
5. Chop the livers with a large heavy knife, mix with leeks and serve promptly with beet chutney.

Beet chutney at the ready (photo credit: Daniel Layla, courtesy Janna Gur)

Erez’s Beet Chutney

Ingredients

• 7 medium beets precooked, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar (demerara)
• 1-2 chili peppers, chopped
• 2 teaspoon fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 stalk lemon grass halved lengthwise and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds, crushed (these can be omitted for those who don’t eat kitniyot on Passover)
• coarse sea salt

Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a gentle simmer, lower the heat and cook, uncovered for about an hour, until chutney thickens. Mix occasionally. The chutney will keep for a few days in a refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.