Chopped chicken liver is one of my favorite spreads. It’s a lovely earthy hors d’oeurve that can be pasted liberally on crackers with one of those tiny round-nosed knives nobody uses any more.

Mom made it every time we had guests or a holiday. For me, chopped chicken liver reminds me of happy times, family, laughter, and special occasions. She learned the recipe from her mother, “who really couldn’t cook.” In other words, Jan’s Chopped Chicken Liver recipe is incredibly easy and old fashioned. It only has five incredients.

Some people (specifically my husband) think liver is gross. He isn’t used to the idea of organ meats.

But when I rolled the liver out at a party in 2015, (which seems like yesterday ) my friends inhaled it. It was there, and it was gone, in a millisecond.

The not so secret ingredient to my mom’s chopped chicken liver is mayonnaise. It was sweeter and creamier than deli chopped liver that is made with schmaltz (rendered chicken fat).

The texture of mom’s chopped liver is special. It consists of small chunks of liver, eggs, and onions glued together with Hellman’s mayonnaise (nothing else will do).

Never, ever make it with a food processor. That would ruin it by making it into a paste.

Besides, food processors didn’t become popular until the 1970s, so they don’t fit into the old-fashioned feel of chopped chicken liver.

Today I am making chopped chicken liver for my Mom’s 94th birthday. It will be served on Mark Bittman’s homemade matzos (the easiest recipe ever.)

Jan’s Chopped Chicken Liver

Boil chopped livers in chicken broth and cool. Make 1- 2 hard boiled eggs. Chop a medium onion. Throw everything into a wooden bowl. Cut with two knives, a pastry knife or a chopper until mixes. Add mayo. Sprinkle paprika on top.

Surround with pieces of matzo, pita chips or crackers.