Dishes such as Jewish-style fried artichokes (carciofi alla giudia) and Venice’s famous offal dishes, which originated in Jewish cuisine, are an integral part of the Italian pantheon.
The legendary New York Times food reporter Edda Servi Machlin, born in the village of Pitigliano in Tuscany, did a great deal to preserve the tradition of the Jewish community of this picturesque area. This crostini di fegatini recipe- Jewish Italian Chopped Liver- is one of the best known and beloved of these recipes and was served as a first course at Shabbat meals
Ingredients for Chopped Liver
- 1.1 lbs (500 grams) Chicken liver well cleaned
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion medium, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste diluted with 1/4 cup of water
- Salt
- ground black pepper
To serve:
- 6 slice of bread rustic
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ⅛ cup olive oil
Instructions
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1. Coarsely grind the livers in a meat grinder or food processor.
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2. Heat olive oil in a heavy iron skillet. Add onions and fry until translucent. Add parsley and ground livers. Cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add diluted tomato paste, salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. Place the mixture in a bowl and cool for 5-10 minutes.
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3. Cut each of the bread slices into 4 triangles. Beat eggs together with chicken stock. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pan. Dip the bread triangles in the batter and fry for about 30 seconds on each side until golden.
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4. Place a hearty mound of liver pâté on each fried bread triangle. Serve at room temperature.