There are countless variations on this much-loved recipe, which has its origins in kosher cooking. By making a meatless (pareve) version of chopped liver, Jews who keep kosher get to enjoy a much-loved dish while sticking to the dietary requirements of nonmeat meals. While this is often served as a Sabbath appetizer, particularly in homes with Ashkenazic roots, and also as a seder dish, novelist Ellen Levine brings it to the annual potluck picnic that gathers together writers and illustrators of children's and young-adult books from all over new England. It's always swiftly scarfed up.
As odd as it may sound to prepare a vegetarian spread whose name references an animal organ, somehow this dish lacks the turn-up-your-nose unpleasantness of many pseudo-meat dishes. Maybe this is because its origins are based in authentic foodways. But it could just as well be because it is very versatile and just plain good. as with all home-style dishes, from bouillabaisse to barbecue to gumbo, there are many versions of pareve chopped liver, and whichever one you grew up with is, to you, the one and only. I've attempted to give at least a nod to some of these variations following the main recipe, but this is my take on Ellen's. Try it as a sandwich spread or with crudités; or serve it with crisp crackers, toasted baguette slices, or, at Passover, matzoh.
You may be wondering why I spritz a skillet with oil before adding more oil. It's because I generally use less oil than is traditional, making sautés et al (especially those done in a wok or cast-iron skillet) more prone to sticking.
VARIATIONS
Ellen's version: Omit the cooked green beans, lentils, and mushrooms. Instead, use one 14.5-ounce can French-cut string beans, drained, and one 14.5-ounce can peas, drained. Double the walnuts, and omit the tomato paste. (Sorry, Ellen, I love it when you make this, but I just can't bring myself to do the canned beans and peas in my own kitchen.)
Cracker version: Omit the mushrooms; increase the cooked lentils to 2 cups. Add 1 board of matzoh or 1 cup crushed crackers (Tam Tams are traditional). This makes a stiffer, thicker dip, but one that's still surprisingly moist.
Vegan/Hippie-style Veggie Pâté: Toward the end of sautéing the onion, before you add the garlic, stir in 2 coarsely grated carrots. Use 2 cups each cooked green beans, lentils, and toasted walnuts. Omit the hard-boiled eggs and use an egg-free mayo, such as Nasoya. To the mixture in the food processor, add 2/3 cup cooked brown rice and 1 tablespoon red miso. You'll definitely have to scrape the sides of the processor bowl several times to get the rice pureed.
