Cuisine Featured: Jewish
The Melting Pot section is where we have placed recipes for cuisines brought to America by the many immigrants to our shores. Over the years these cuisines have been Americanized, i.e., most viewers of our site have probably been exposed to many of these cuisines, either via the dining-out route or, perhaps, directly within our own families due to the multi-ethnic makeup therein. As an example of this multi-ethnicity within a single family, I can cite my own case-- My family consists of the following ethnicities: English, Irish, Scottish, German, Polish and Greek. Is it any wonder then that America is called the Melting Pot?
At the bottom of this page, you will have an opportunity to E-mail us and give us your thoughts on this page. We encourage this. After all, we will be tailoring this "Cooking Around the World" series according to the wishes of our viewers.
½ pound (1 c) fresh pieces of ¼ c finely chopped onion
chicken fat, finely diced
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CHICKEN FAT: Combine the chicken fat and ¼ c of onion in a large, heavy
skillet and, mashing the fat with the back of a spoon, cook over low heat
for 30 minutes, or until the dice have rendered most of their liquid and they
are crisp and brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer the browned bits of fat
and onion (called grebenes) to paper towels
to drain; save them as a garnish for the liver. Strain the fat through a fine
sieve set over a bowl. Return 8 T of the rendered fat to the skillet and set
the rest aside.
CHOPPED LIVER
1 pound fresh chicken livers GARNISHES (optional)
2 c finely chopped onions 1 hard-ccoked egg, finely chopped
3 hard-cooked eggs, finely chopped ½ to 1 c grebenes (see recipe)
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
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CHOPPED LIVER: Preheat the broiler. Broil the livers on a rack 4 inches
from the heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until the livers are firm
with no trace of pink inside them. Chop them fine.Heat the chicken fat in the skillet over moderate heat. Add 2 c of onions and, stirring frequently, cook for 5 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent. Stir in the chopped livers and chopped eggs, transfer to a deep bowl, and beat with a large spoon until the ingredients are well combined. Beat in the salt and pepper, and taste for seasoning. If the mixture seems too dry, add 1 or 2 T of the reserved rendered chicken fat. Spoon the chopped liver into a small bowl or 3-cup crock and refrigerate, tightly sealed, for at least 2 hours, or until chilled. To serve, mound the chopped liver on a chilled platter, or over lettuce leaves on individual serving plates. It may also be served with cocktails, accompanied by bread or crackers. Garnish if you wish with chopped egg or grebenes. Makes about 3 cups.
3 T chicken fat (see Gehakte ½ c potato flour
Leber recipe above) 1 egg
1 c finely chopped onions ½ tsp salt
2 c cooled mashed potatoes ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
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Preheat the oven to 375°. In an 8- to 10-inch skillet, melt 2 T of the
chicken fat over moderate heat. Stir in the onions and, stirring frequently,
cook for about 5 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent. Remove from
the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, potato flour, egg, salt and pepper. Knead them together with your hands until they are well combined and the mixture is smooth. Divide the mixture into 14 balls, each measuring about 2 inches in diameter. Flatten the balls slightly and top each with about 2 tsp of the cooked onions. Pull enough of the potato dough up over the onion filling to enclose it.
Brush the remaining T of chicken fat over a large baking sheet and set the knishes about 1 inch apart on the sheet. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Serve hot, as an accompaniment to cocktails. Makes about 14.
