… we all have good friends who seemed to have slipped through the net don’t we…?
… I’m not talking about casual acquaintances or people we’ve picked up along the way and then dropped off again… I’m talking about those old school friends to whom you promised sincerely that you’d always be friends, no matter what…
it can’t just be me… and it’s no-ones fault… life just gets in the way… we grow up, move away, get married, have kids… life changes us…
… but always in the back of our minds those friends are still there… the memories… the stupid fun times… the sad times… those times we got completely stoned and listed to Dark Side of the Moon… too many times…! (I make no apologies… I’m a 40 year old man after all, with very few regrets!)
… Andreas is one of those friends… we were at school together… we quite literally went through life and death with each other… and I think we laughed together more than I’ve ever laughed with anyone… but for some stupidly unknown reason we haven’t spoken in about 15 years… amazingly enough I see his sister on a regular basis… anyway, the point is that I was listening to BBC Radio 4 in the car the other day and the newsreader was interviewing someone about carbon off-setting… and that someone was Andreas!… just hearing his voice sent me back so fast I nearly crashed the car…
… anyway, I reached out, we’re planning to see each other in a couple of weeks… which is lovely…
…lovely because I love him but more importantly because he loves my mum’s chopped liver…!
so for his eyes only (look away everyone else…) here it is, in all it’s glory…
Angela’s Chopped Liver
This recipe is embarrassingly easy but oy vey is it good!
400g chicken livers
1 onion coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
– sauté the onions till soft
– add the chicken livers and sauté till properly cooked. They will still be pink inside but not rare.
– meanwhile hard boil the eggs
– put the livers and onions into food processor ( or if you want to be really traditional then turn it through a hand mincer) and mix on pulse. You don’t want pate. So take it easy.
– then grate in the eggs and mix
– season to taste.
refrigerate and then when cold, serve it on the traditional Challah Bread or Matzo crackers… or if you’re lazy like me, just slather it onto any old bread and scoff it…and good lord you’ll be in Friday night heaven…
eat and of course, enjoy!
This is one thing I can't see myself making, but it's a great story about getting back in touch with your friend. Reminded me of all my old long-lost school friends.
I have a thing for liver. I'm making this.
In my teaching days, I had an expression that I used with my students. A 'happy accident' – an event that occcurs that has an unexpectedly great outcome, an act that brings you an unexpected brain storm, a random thought or deed that suddenly makes you stop and turn off in a better direction – a 'happy accident'. Hearing your long lost friend on a radio program as you happen to be driving home … one happy accident Dom!
Yum on the liver, by the way! It's a totally under rated delicacy! My recipe has a tiny bit of mayonaisse and a bit of rendered chicken fat in it too, but yours looks more healthy!
It's lovely that you're reconnecting, hope it's wonderful. A lovely post.
Mmmm, liverly! (Sorry, terrible pun, but this is a wonderful post and a great recipe.)
hi Dom,
I put one less egg in my chopped liver and add a little olive oil to blend a little finer. Problem is I end up eating it by myself as my family hate chopped liver!!!
thanks all for the comments, Liver is one of those 'marmite' foods which you either love or hate… I simply adore it
@ anonymous – nothing wrong with eating it by yourself… nothing wrong at all!
Dom
x
I love liver. Oh yum. I'll be sure to give this a try. Unfortunately I'll have to eat this alone as none of my friends would eat liver. I need new friends I think.
Have fun with Andreas. I also cannot wait to see my best friend, whom I haven't seen for sometime, this summer.
Have a great weekend! Michael.
Oh Dom, when I was a kid I loved liver & onions and sardines . . . but now, can't do it! LOL!! It does look like a great recipe! Have a blast with Andreas, I'm sure time will fly when you get together! Cheers to reconnecting with you friend!
I have a friend (an ex-flatmate) with whom I have exchanged Christmas cards for the past 15 years. Every year we write “hopefully we'll get to meet up this year” …….. I actually met her for coffee last week, it was like stepping back in time, great craic.
You'll have a great time catching up.
once again please pass on my thanks to your Mum for the wonderful recipe.
About five years ago I made contact and saw an old school friend for the first time in – well- too many years. It made us both very happy and it was extremely emotional, and now his family are like an extra family to me. So if there's someone out there you really want to see again – do it today.
Oh – and I love chopped liver…
I've got something in my eye! Or it's the onions. Truth be known I've missed the glow for ages.
That's it now Dom, we can't but meet up or this kind commentariasts (?) will boo and hiss.
My cooking is getting worse by the day. Except for baking (and a caveat on last night's quiche, I lost patience and pulled it out too early). What I need is a lesson in baking at the Belleau kitchen…