I can count on one hand the amount of times I’ve eaten liver in my life. The first time was when I had paté not knowing it was liver. The second time was at a holiday party where they served chopped liver. The third time was when my friend’s roommate’s girlfriend came over to cook us her family’s traditional dishes. That’s it.
Why? Maybe it was because Doug Funnie hated liver and onions. Maybe it was because a camp counselor forced my dad to eat it when he was 10 years old and ever since then he has had a vendetta against the dish. Maybe it it is because the general consensus is that liver and onions are disgusting. No matter the reason, it is true that liver has a wildly intense taste.
When I was wandering the Shuk this past week and passed by a meat stand, the beautiful glossy maroon color caught my eye. Say what you want about their taste, but a large pile of chicken livers are beautiful to look at. I decided to buy some. Because of a little language confusion (my broken Hebrew did not quite register with his native Russian comprehension), I almost purchased a kilo of it (about 25 livers). I also accidentally bought turkey liver instead of chicken liver, which, as I understand it, has a more subtle flavor, though it still feels like you are getting punched in the taste buds when you eat it.
I looked up a few recipes and made up a hybrid of my own. Here it is:
1. Soak the liver in milk. Ok, so it is not exactly Kosher. I’m sure my Bubbe and most other Bubbes skip this step, but word has it in the unKosher crowd that this step is crucial for cutting some of the bitterness out of the liver and for tenderization. Notice also the beautiful color of the meat:
2. Let the liver soak for a while. I let it soak for the amount of time it took me to thoroughly clean my kitchen (which needed a thorough cleaning, believe me), plus the amount of time it took to do this step and to set up step 3.
Cut up a bunch of onions into rings. Sautee them for a while until they are basically cooked. I used 3 white onions and 1 red one for a little variety and color. I don’t think it really did anything…
3. When the onions are pretty much done, put them aside. It is time to take care of the liver. Pour some of my famous flower mixture onto a plate and coat the liver pieces in it. Easy.
4. Once they are coated, go ahead and fry them in oil. Word is, you should use butter, but they don’t really seem to have butter in this country, shocking considering the excellent quality of the dairy in general. Not shocking considering the kosher and hummus situation (If you don’t need it for cooking or for bread, what do you need it for?). I used vegetable oil though, and perhaps a little bit too much of it. You want to limit the amount you flip the liver (as in, once). Let it cook until the first side is entirely done. Then flip it. WARNING: this picture looks kind of gross.
5. Once the Liver is almost done on both sides, put the onions back in and let it cook for a little while longer.
6. When it is all done, serve it in the traditional Israeli style as always, with lots of salads! My choice for the night: Pickles, Israeli Salad, Hummus, Pita, the Purple Cabbage Stuff, and of course, some of the leftover Shakshouka (served cold).
7. Enjoy. I hate to say this, but I think Doug Funnie, my dad, and well… the rest of the liver hating population, are wrong. Liver is wonderful. Not only that, it’s good for you!
