Easy and Delicious Chopped Liver Recipe

This Easy and Delicious Chopped Liver Recipe with Canada Goose Liver is a great way to use those duck livers and goose livers from your recent waterfowl hunt.

Silky, savory, and rich chopped chicken liver is a traditional Jewish food I always pick up when visiting Cecils Delicatessen in Saint Paul, Minnesota. That's a long 4-hour drive from my house in Fargo, North Dakota, and there is no Jewish deli near me, so I decided to create my own version using some liver from some Canada geese I shot on a goose and duck hunt here in North Dakota.

Most chopped liver recipes you'll find call for 2 or 3 pounds of chicken livers so you end up with a lot of chopped liver! I developed this goose recipe with the waterfowl hunter in mind and kept it at just 1 pound of duck or goose livers.

Goose Hunting in North Dakota

I love goose and duck hunting in North Dakota. Before I was married, I spent 4 to 5 mornings every week in October chasing waterfowl with my black lab. I was extremely successful back then. I usually had a few birds cleaned and ready to eat before heading to work.

Nowadays, with a busy life, a wife, and an 9-year-old daughter, I usually get out and hunt one full day every week! But now my daughter will actually go with me, and loves it! An early morning filled with the sound of honkers, then having them appear over a distant tree line and veering toward us is magical. I absolutely love creating new goose recipes.

Early Goose season in North Dakota is almost upon us, starting on August 15. I've already started scouting and looking for flocks of birds. Every time I drive somewhere, I search for certain types of fields that Canada geese will use once they start leaving the water.

Wheat fields are obvious targets. Other small grains, such as oats, barley, and peas, can be great as well. But those are usually found on the western side of North Dakota. If you hunt near Fargo, you should watch wheat stubble fields. Don't forget alfalfa fields that have been cut recently. With all the rain that just swept across the state in the last 24 hours, these will soon sprout with new greens.

Can You Eat Canadian Geese

First of all, the correct name for these birds is actually Canada Geese not Canadian Geese. I have met many Canada Geese in my day and most of them were actually born here in North Dakota, not in Canada. Therefore, they aren't technically Canadian. Canada Geese born in Canada could be called Canadian Canada Geese, but those born here in the United States would be considered American Canada Geese. But I digress.

The question was, can you eat Canada geese? And the answer is yes! Absolutely! From Goose Pastrami to Fettuccine Alfredo with Goose and Broccoli to a Goose and Pepper Stew, the goose recipe ideas are limitless! And if you want to try another New York City delicatessen favorite like this goose pastrami, you really should check out my recipe for Goose Pastrami.

Goose Liver vs Chicken Liver

When it comes to being frugal, chicken livers found in most grocery stores are hard to beat. The liver is one of the most versatile parts of a bird. You can use it in pates and terrines, rice dishes, and many different entrees. Most people think of goose liver as a delicacy, especially when consumed as foie gras. But is there legitimacy to the reasoning that chicken livers are for the poor and goose livers are for the rich? They're both poultry.

Chopped Liver Origin

The history of chopped liver goes back to Medieval Germany. The Ashkenazi Jewish people chose to breed and raise geese. “Ashkenazim” refers to Jews of Germany. The term now refers more broadly to Jews from Central and Eastern Europe. Jews settled in that area by following trade routes along waterways during the eighth and ninth centuries.

The Ashkenazi Jewish people raised geese, not chickens. The first Jewish chopped liver recipes were actually made from goose liver. However, you now see chicken liver in the vast majority of chopped liver recipes.

We don't know how chopped liver became so deeply connected with Eastern European Jewish foods. Some have speculated that because Jews were often poor, they ate every part of a chicken to be thrifty. This included parts like the liver that would seem unappetizing. Chopped liver may have been common among Eastern Europeans. The recipe was simply adopted by the Jewish community living in those countries.

Goose Liver Health Benefits

I'm not a fan of the Liver King antics blasted all over social media, but none of us can deny the health benefits of liver. Goose liver provides complete proteins and healthy fats and is loaded with essential vitamins like retinol (vitamin A) and B vitamins, vitamin K2, and trace minerals like iron and copper. 

Meaning Of Chopped Liver Saying

Ever heard the phrase, "What am I, chopped liver?" As far as I can figure, the origins of that phrase are not Yiddish, but actually coined here in the United States. Being that chopped liver was always considered a side dish and not a main course, the phrase is used to express hurt and amazement when a person feels he has been overlooked and treated just like a "side dish."

Side dish or not, chopped liver has been embraced by Jews and other ethnic groups and individuals like Czech and Irish Catholics such as myself. Want to learn how to make chopped liver yourself? Here's the recipe.

How To Make Chopped Liver

1. Season the goose livers with the salt and pepper and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan, cover the eggs with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain the hot water from the eggs and immediately fill the pan with cold water. Add a few ice cubes and let the eggs stand until chilled. Drain the water, peel the eggs, and coarsely chop. Transfer the chopped eggs to a small bowl and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

3. In a large frying pan over medium heat, gently cook the onions in the olive oil until soft and golden, about 10 minutes.

4. Increase the heat to medium high, add the goose livers, and stir for a one minute so that they absorb the flavor of the onion.

5. Using a spatula, scrape the mixture into a food processor and let it cool for 5 minutes. Add the chopped eggs and pulse until the livers are finely chopped but not completely smooth. Add the parsley and broth and pulse to combine. Season with a little more salt and pepper if needed.

6. Transfer the goose liver mixture to a bowl. Press plastic wrap onto the surface and refrigerate until chilled, about 45 minutes. 

7. Serve with latkes, matzah, your favorite crackers, or on rye bread with some sliced red onion like I did.

More Goose Recipes

If you are looking for more great goose recipes, check out my Fried Gizzards Recipe. Or see all my Goose and Duck Recipes here.

Come Goose Hunting in North Dakota

If you are headed our way for North Dakota waterfowl season, check out the North Dakota Game & Fish Department website. And if you want me to come along with you as your camp cook, photographer, or butcher, you can find out more details here.

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