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It was years before I attempted to make
my own chopped liver. My mother
was awesome in a lot of ways, but
cooking was not her strong suit.
She relied on our beloved cook
and housekeeper, Clara, for that.
Clara didn’t have any Jewish
heritage that I knew of, but her
chopped liver would stand up to
the best Jewish cooking any day.
Like many great cooks, Clara did
everything by taste, so there was
no recipe I could follow.
Enter my mother-in-law, Dale, who
offered to come to my house and teach
me how to make her chopped liver (she’s
famous for it). Dale gave me the ingredients
list and sent me to Rouses.
When I got back to the house, we immediately started
cooking — well, Dale did. I wrote down the instructions.
Chefs who say soufflés are temperamental have never tried making chopped
liver. It’s a delicate process. Too much onion and it’s bitter, too little salt and it’s
bland. Too much grinding and it’s unpleasantly smooth, but not enough and
it’s too chunky. The eggs have to be boiled to just the right consistency and the
mold must be properly greased.
After a few tries, I mastered Dale’s chopped liver. It’s still nice to have her bring
the dish to Passover, but it’s also nice to know I can make it and can one day
teach my kids to make it, too.
Gefilte Fish
by
Dale Singer
E
very year, my husband’s grandmother, Helen Singer,
made gefilte fish for Passover Seder from scratch.
She used whole fresh speckled trout — heads, tails and
bones, which she would chop with onions and spices in
a wooden bowl. Then she’d make fish shapes by hand.
One year, I decided I wanted to learn how she made it,
so that someday I could do it myself. I picked her up
and brought her to our house, and she and I made it
together — it took all day to make! Like a lot of cooks
in those days, she didn’t have a recipe. She would put a
little of this, a little of that, but I watched her do every
step and I took notes on everything she did.
Shortly after our cooking lesson, Helen fell and broke
her hip. From that point on, I would make the fish for
the holiday. My mother-in-law always had a big Seder,
and everyone would bring something. It became my job
to bring the fish.
I changed one piece of Helen’s recipe, that’s it. Helen
chopped by hand; I used a Cuisinart. Except when she
was over. Then I chopped by hand.
Gefilte fish
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
FOR THE BROTH:
Bones from 4 fish, heads from 2
3
carrots, sliced
2
stalks celery cut into quarters
Small bunch parsley
2
onions, chopped
1
tablespoon Rouses salt
1
teaspoon Rouses black pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
FOR THE FISH:
10 pounds speckled trout fish filets, ground in Cuisinart
8
eggs
6
tablespoons matzo meal
3
tablespoons Rouses salt
1
tablespoon Rouses black pepper
Sliced carrots and parsley for garnish
HOW TO PREP
In large pot, place fish heads and bones, carrots, celery, parsley
and onions. Add just enough water to cover ingredients, then
season with salt, pepper and sugar. Close lid and bring to a boil.
In a food processor or Cuisinart, grind fish. Transfer to a medium
size bowl, add all other ingredients and mix together until you get
a tuna salad consistency. (You can add water if needed). Shape
into ovals.
Transfer fish to pot of stock, adding more water to cover them.
Replace the lid, boil for 3 hours. Remove pot from burner, and let
cool for 2 hours. Remove fish carefully with slotted spoon, and
serve on a plate with a sliced carrot and parsley as garnish.
Chopped liver
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
2
pounds chicken livers
2
onions, chopped
2
tablespoons butter
4
hard cooked eggs
¾ tablespoons Rouses salt
½ teaspoon Rouses black pepper
HOW TO PREP
Wash and drain livers. In a medium pan, sauté livers in butter with chopped onion. (If livers
get dry in the cooking, add butter as needed.) Cook until well done and brown. Transfer to
a food processor and add cooked eggs. Pulse but be careful not to over grind. Add salt and
pepper to taste. Grease a round mold with butter and fill with chopped liver. Refrigerate
overnight. Serve with rye bread or crackers.
pAssover
Sing for Seder Supper
Traditional Klezmer music has been played at Jewish
celebrations for generations. The New Orleans Klezmer All-
Stars — accordionist Glenn Hartman, guitarist Jonathan
Freilich and a changing band of supporting players that has
included members of Galactic, the Iguanas, Panorama and the
Neville Brothers — cooked up their own version of Klezmer
24 year ago, adding New Orleans funk to the usual mix.