Cod Liver Sandwiches Recipe: Easy Cod Liver Pâté Appetizer
In the distant days of Soviet “abundance,” canned cod liver was something people saw either in the food parcels handed out to the party elite and the well-connected, or in pictures.
It always puzzled me why, with the huge sea catch of cod-family fish the USSR produced, such a simple and healthy thing as cod liver was in total shortage. Fried cod, on the other hand, was always on the menu, because there was plenty of fish.
Cod is an Atlantic fish, although its one freshwater relative, the burbot, lives in our rivers. In Ukraine, fishing for burbot is banned. Many think this is a mistake and have plenty of arguments to back it up.
Attention! I now have a new cod liver recipe, a layered salad!
Cod is a major commercial fish, along with salmon, herring and mackerel. Three quarters of its liver is fat, and it contains polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins A and D. In short, it's all benefit, especially for preventing diseases of the heart and blood vessels, the nervous system and the joints.
The substances in cod liver, like in any other liver, lower cholesterol in the body. But to be honest, eating cod liver on its own is rather unpleasant, it's just too fatty.
Any liver is very healthy, even in a liver cake made with beef liver. But a cod liver salad is on the verge of hysteria! By the way, unlike an egg salad, this salad is spread on bread or croutons.
More with white fish
Cod Liver SaladA classic layered cod liver salad with potato, egg, pickles, green onion, carrot and cheese, served in individual glasses. A festive fish salad with photos.
TaramasalataHomemade taramasalata: lightly salted cod roe blended with soaked white bread, lemon juice, onion, garlic and olive oil into a creamy Greek dip.
Fish Meatballs with Pike or Cod in Tomato SauceFish meatballs made from minced pike or cod fillet with parsley and herbs, browned and simmered in a homemade tomato sauce. Great with mashed potatoes.
Fish Under MarinadeClassic Soviet canteen dish: fried hake or pollock fillets covered with carrot, onion and tomato stewed with a touch of vinegar, chilled overnight.
Fried PollockPan-fried pollock: fillet pieces seasoned with coriander and lemon, dredged in flour and fried until golden. Served with mashed potatoes and fried onions.Ingredients
4 servings
- Cod liver (canned) 1 can
- Onion 1 can
- Eggs 2
- Hard cheese 100 g
- Mayonnaise 2 tbsp
- Ground black pepper, wine vinegar, green onion tops to taste
Step-by-step recipe
- Perhaps the best-known cod liver salad is “Severny” (Northern): canned cod liver, eggs and green onion. It's incredibly fatty, though tasty. It's dressed with the oil from the liver. A starter like this, in different variations, was often on the menu of good restaurants. Sometimes boiled potato was added to the salad to “draw out” the fat.
- I think the potato is superfluous there in any case. But croutons made of white bread are very much in place.
- People often ask: how do you choose canned cod liver?
- I remember that some 30 years ago, what was in a can matched what was on the label. But after the collapse of the “system,” the contents gradually shrank, with less product and more liquid. For some reason I remember how many herrings used to fit in a big tin can. A lot, the fish literally filled the whole space. And in the early 90s, 4-5 of them floated lonely in brine in a big can. Cod liver is the same. Back then, since there was no way to check quality and quantity, you simply shook the can by your ear and listened. If there was little liver in the can, the liquid sloshed.
- So, cod liver sandwiches.
- Hard-boil the eggs. Cool them under cold running water and peel right away. Then grate the eggs on the finest grater and chop them a little more with a blender for 1-2 secs, to make them uniform.
- Grate the cheese, preferably a low-fat one (30-35%), on the same fine grater and also blend for 1-2 secs.
- You need only a little onion. Peel it and chop very finely. Add 1 tsp of white wine vinegar or lemon juice and leave to marinate for 15 mins.
- Open the can of cod liver and drain off the oil. Mash the cod liver with a fork into a uniform paste.
- Mix the cod liver, cheese, eggs and onion. Add a little pepper and stir.
- Add a little mayonnaise, one or at most two tablespoons, and the finely chopped green onion tops. Stir the cod liver pâté.
- The cod liver pâté is ready.
- Frankly, eating cod liver pâté on its own, even though it's very tasty, is a matter of taste. It's best spread on bread.
- Put a lettuce leaf on a slice of bread or toast and spread the pâté on it. Garnish with herbs.
- Liver pâté is a wonderful appetizer, both tasty and healthy.
| Yield: | 4 servings |
| Calories: | 260 kcal per 100 g |
| Prep: | 30 mins |
| Cook: | 15 mins |
| Total: | 45 mins |
| Category: | Snacks and Sauces › Sandwiches |
| Cuisine: | European |
| Rating: |
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4.9
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