Romanian deviled eggs with a creamy chicken liver pate and creme fraiche filling - this simple Easter egg recipe is just amazing!
A typical Romanian recipe for making deviled eggs for Easter lunch, I don't think that I have ever eaten these eggs in Romania at any other time than around Easter time...
But, of course, this is not just an Easter recipe, you can make these liver deviled eggs at any time and they will always be delicious. A perfect appetizer, finger food, or snack, great when you have leftover hard-boiled eggs or when you want to make something special for brunch.
Ingredients
Hard-boiled eggs:
- You can cook fresh eggs for this liver egg recipe or you can use leftover hard-boiled eggs.
- For instance, the leftover dyed eggs from Easter, I always have too many of them and making deviled eggs is probably the best way of enjoying them.
- Check out the tuna eggs or the Mexican deviled eggs as well, you will love them!
Chicken livers:
- I love chicken livers, they are my favorite kind of livers. I grew up eating pan-fried chicken livers and it really never occurred to me that there are so many people out there who are not keen on the liver.
- Even if you don't like beef, veal, or pork liver, you might want to give chicken livers a try, they have a milder taste and are so wonderfully creamy and comforting. At least as long as you don't cook them for too long, that will turn them to rubber.
- I normally use frozen chicken livers because fresh livers are rarely available.
- Make sure the livers are fully thawed (in the refrigerator) before frying them.
Other ingredients:
- Crème fraiche
- Garnish ingredients: sweet paprika powder, gherkins/ pickled cucumbers, pickled red peppers, olives, fresh herbs like parsley or dill.
How to make deviled eggs Romanian-style?
The easiest way of boiling eggs:
- Place in a saucepan and cover with cold water.
- I add a little salt (about ½ teaspoon) or vinegar (about 1 teaspoon) because it prevents cracking.
- Bring the water to a rolling boil, turn off the heat and let them stand in the covered pot for about 12 minutes, slightly longer if they are extra-large.
- If you are cooking a large batch and you want to be sure that they are hard enough, you might want to peel one, check and add a few extra minutes if the eggs are not quite done yet.
- I usually don't bother about that and just leave the eggs a couple of extra minutes longer in the hot water, overcooking the eggs when using this method is less likely to occur.
- Rinse with very cold water.
- By cooking the eggs this way, you avoid the yolks from turning greenish, which might happen when the eggs are exposed to too high a temperature.
- You will also save energy and that's always a positive thing.
- Once they are completely cool, you can make the filling and stuff them.
- They can be cooked several days in advance. Keep them refrigerated until ready to use.
How to cook chicken livers:
- Cook the finely chopped onion in a teaspoon of the oil. Remove from the pan.
- Use the same non-stick pan and the remaining oil to cook the chicken livers.
- Make sure that the chicken livers are fully thawed before frying them.
- Dry them very well with kitchen paper.
- Trim, if necessary.
- Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and cook the livers on all sides, turning often, until brown on the outside and still pink on the inside.
- I always check one to make sure that it is cooked and not still bloody red on the inside.
- They should be still slightly pink, otherwise, they are pretty much overcooked.
- The whole process should take about 5-6 minutes, depending on the size of the livers.
- Check and give them a couple more minutes, if necessary.
- Remove from the pan and leave to cool completely.
Filling mixture:
- In the meantime carefully halve the eggs and remove the yolks.
- Place the yolks into a bowl.
- Add the cooked onion, finely chopped liver, and crème fraiche. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
- Add some salt and pepper to taste.
More Romanian Easter appetizers?
Romanian Boeuf Salad - Romanian boeuf salad or salata de boeuf, this is probably the most popular Romanian salad, traditionally served for Easter and Christmas.
Romanian Easter Drob - A traditional appetizer for the Easter brunch and this chicken version is a very popular twist on the well-known lamb drob.
Homemade Cheese Crackers - Very cheesy, shortcrust homemade cheese crackers sprinkled with caraway seeds or salt or even sesame seeds.
Spinach Rolls - Delicate spinach roll filled with cheese and herbs, a nice, fresh appetizer for an easy brunch.
Romanian Deviled Eggs (with Liver Pate)
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- ½ teaspoon salt or 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 small onion about 100 g/ 3.5 oz
- 100 g/ 3.5 oz chicken livers fully thawed if frozen
- 100 g/ 3.5 oz crème fraiche
- fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Garnish:
- sweet paprika powder
- gherkins/pickled cucumbers pickled red peppers, olives, fresh herbs (parsley, dill)
Instructions
- Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the salt or the vinegar, they help prevent cracking. Bring the water to a rolling boil, remove the pot from the heat, cover and let the eggs stand in the hot water for about 12-15 minutes (depending on size). Rinse under very cold running water and let cool completely.
- Trim the chicken livers (if necessary) and dry them well with kitchen paper.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a non-stick pan. Cook the onion until golden brown and remove it from the pan.
- Use the same pan to cook the livers. Heat the remaining oil and fry the chicken livers on all sides, turning often, until brown on the outside but still a little pink in the middle, it will take about 5-6 minutes, more if the livers are very large.
- Check by cutting one in the middle, it should be slightly pink (and thus not overcooked), but not bloody red. Take out of the pan and leave to cool. When cool, chop the liver into small pieces.
- Halve the eggs, remove the egg yolks and place them in a bowl large enough to hold all other ingredients. Add the cooked livers and onion. Add the crème fraiche and blend the mixture until smooth (with an immersion blender, for instance). Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer the filling into a piping bag with a star nozzle and pipe the mixture into the egg halves. Alternatively, place the filling into a freezer bag, cut its tip and use the bag to fill the eggs.
- Sprinkle with paprika powder and garnish with pickles, olives and/or herbs. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
This is a different version of deviled eggs for me. I enjoy pate and deviled eggs. Combining the two makes sense and sounds delicious.
Adina says
Thank you, Kathy. 🙂
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I actually really like chicken liver, but it wasn't until culinary school that I found love for it. I think most people just get scared of the word "liver". I bet these eggs taste fabulous, dear! Liver pate stuffed in some deviled eggs? YES PLEASE! Cheers, girlie! 😉
Adina says
It is so soft and creamy (when not cooked to death) and has such a delicate, yet particular flavor, I don't really get why so many people don't like it....
Kate @ Framed Cooks says
There is no version of deviled egg that I won't try, and this one looks amazing! I love chicken liver with a purple passion.
Adina says
Thank you, Kate, I love chicken liver too, but don't get to eat it as often as I'd like too.
Monica says
What a great spin on deviled eggs. I'd love to try this. Looks great!
Adina says
I think you'd like it, Monica
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
They must be extremely rich and delicious with homemade liver pate!!
Adina says
The pate is the best thing about them, I would eat it without the eggs any time. 🙂
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Oh wow! How adorably delish these deviled eggs look, Adina. Homemade liver plate sounds fantastic.
Adina says
Thank you, Anu.
Chris Scheuer says
Wow, I don't like liver either even though my mom made it i the most appetizing way possible BUT I'm quite sure I would gobble up these eggs!
Adina says
I think you would, Chris. My husband detests liver, still he loves this filling.
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
Obsessed with this twist on deviled eggs!
Adina says
Me too. 🙂 Was thinking to make them again tomorrow, I still have hard boiled eggs from Easter...
Priya says
awesome recipe adina. I am vegetarian but my hubby used to eats eggs sometimes so i always found trouble to find egg recipes which i can serve to my hubby..
This recipe will help me a lot..Trust me
Anika says
Can i use canned chicken liver pate instead of the frozen chicken liver? If yes, how many small cans can i add?
Adina says
Hi Anika. About 100 g.