Serves 6
Prep time: 1 hour | Cooking time: 1½ – 2 hours
There are many reasons given for eating apples at Rosh Hashanah. The Talmud and the Midrash explain that when Jacob entered his father Isaac’s tent to receive his blessings, the scent of the Garden of Eden entered with him, and it had the fragrance of an apple orchard. As we eat our apples on Rosh Hashanah, we pray that we too should receive blessings, just as Jacob did.
Perhaps the best known and most widely eaten of all the Simanim, Jews all over the world dip apples in honey or sugar as a blessing for a sweet new year. In this decadent recipe, the sweetness of the apples intensifies with the roasting, and the sweet caramelised onion jam is a perfect counter for the rich and fragrant liver.
Ingredients
- 6 Golden Delicious Apples
For the Onion Jam
- 3 Red Onions finely sliced in rainbows
- 1 ½ tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 2 tbsp Water
- 1½tbsp Brown Sugar
- Salt
For the Liver Pâté
- 3 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 packets koshered Chicken Livers
- 5 sprigs Thyme
- 2 to 3 large Garlic Cloves crushed
- 4 tbsp Grape Juice
- 1 tbsp Brandy
Method
For the Onion Jam
- Salt your onions and leave to sit for 10 mins.
- Add oil to a pan and heat gently over a low light. Fry onions until soft and translucent, stirring regularly to ensure they don’t burn (10-20 mins).
- Add balsamic vinegar, stir to combine and cook over low light for a further 10-20 mins, continuing to stir regularly to prevent burning. Add splashes of water as needed.
- Sprinkle in sugar, stir to combine and continue to cook on low for another
10- 15 mins. - Add remaining water and cook for a further 20-30 mins or until the liquid has reduced and the mixture becomes sticky and jammy
For the Liver Pâté
- In a hot, oiled pan fry livers thoroughly (at least 5 mins on each side), taking care not to burn them.
- Add garlic and sprigs of thyme, breaking down the liver as you cook, and add brandy and grape juice to the pan. Cook for a further 6-8 mins, keeping everything moving to avoid burning.
- Once cooked and combined, set aside and allow to cool.
- Once your liver mixture has cooled, remove the sprigs of thyme and place mixture in a food processor. Blitz into a light paste.
You want a smooth paste and may need to add small drizzles of extra virgin olive oil at intervals as you’re blitzing, to bring together into a smooth pâté. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Meanwhile
- Slice the tops off apples (retaining them as lids). Carefully core your apples (but don’t go all the way to the bottom) removing flesh from the inside but leaving a wall of at least 7mm / ½ inch, and more at the base.
- Place cored apples and lids in a large bowl filled with ice cold water and the juice of half a lemon, to stop your apples from browning.
- When all apples have been cored, preheat your oven to 200°C / 180°C fan
(Gas Mark 6 / 400°F). - Dry each apple and fill the cavity with a ball of foil to help it retain its shape during baking.
- Replace the apple lids and place in an oven proof dish. Bake for 20 mins, until lightly softened but not mushy. Set aside, and allow to cool.
To Serve
- Serve apples at room temperature or lightly warmed, fill with liver pâté and serve with onion jam.
(Image Credit: Sophy Weiss Photography)
