1,000 Jewish Recipes (127 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
This slowly cooked, gently spiced chicken with its rich onion sauce is wonderful with potato or vegetable latkes.
3 pounds chicken pieces, patted dry
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions, halved and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon paprika
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
3
â
4
cup chicken stock
1.
Sprinkle chicken pieces with pepper on both sides.
2.
Heat oil in deep large sauté pan or stew pan. Lightly brown chicken pieces in 2 batches over medium heat. Remove with tongs to a plate. Add onions and cook over medium-low heat 10 minutes or until softened. Return chicken to pan and add any juices from plate. Add cumin, coriander, paprika, garlic, and stock. Cover and simmer, turning pieces once or twice, about 30 minutes for breast pieces and about 35 minutes for leg and thigh pieces.
3.
Remove chicken pieces from pan but leave in onion. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Adjust seasoning. Return chicken to pan. Cover and warm over low heat about 3 minutes. Serve hot.
In almost every Israeli home chicken schnitzel (pan-fried cutlets) appears frequently on the menu, for both holiday and casual meals. It's a good choice for Hanukkah because it's a favorite of children. Besides, it cooks quickly and leaves plenty of time for preparing latkes. I like to rub the chicken with garlic before coating it, for extra flavor.
Caper-Lemon Salsa
is a lively accompaniment. If you're serving the schnitzel to children, serve the salsa in a separate dish.
Caper-Lemon Salsa
or lemon wedges (for serving)
1 to 1
1
â
4
pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, patted dry
2 or 3 cloves garlic, crushed
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
3
cup all-purpose flour
1 or 2 large eggs
2
â
3
cup dry bread crumbs
About
1
â
3
cup vegetable oil
1.
Prepare salsa, if using. Preheat oven to 275°F.
2.
Rub chicken pieces all over with crushed garlic, then discard garlic pieces. Sprinkle chicken with pepper.
3.
Spread flour in a large plate and mix it with a pinch of salt. Beat 1 egg in a shallow bowl. Spread bread crumbs in another large plate. Lightly coat 1 chicken piece with flour on both sides. Tap and shake to remove excess flour. Dip piece in egg. Dip in bread crumbs, completely coating both sides; pat lightly so crumbs adhere. Set on a large plate. Repeat with remaining chicken. If necessary, beat another egg. Set coated pieces on plate side by side.
4.
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add enough chicken to make one layer. Sauté over medium-high heat about 3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Turn carefully using two slotted spatulas, so oil doesn't splatter. If oil begins to brown, reduce heat to medium. If you like, set schnitzels on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
5.
Set cooked chicken pieces side by side on an ovenproof platter and keep them warm in the oven. Top each portion with a small spoonful of
Caper-Lemon Salsa
or a lemon wedge.
Capers grow in Jerusalem and are delicious with Hanukkah dishes such as
Chicken Breast Schnitzel
or with fried fish. If you're serving it with broiled fish or chicken, you might like to add a tablespoon of olive oil. This salsa is tangy rather than peppery. It's perfect for wintertime as it doesn't require out-of-season produce. Serve this salsa in small spoonfuls; a little goes a long way.
1 lemon
1
â
2
cup finely chopped red, white, or sweet yellow onions
1 tablespoon strained fresh lemon juice
1
â
4
teaspoon dried oregano
Tiny pinch of salt
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1.
Use a small serrated knife to remove skin and all white pith from lemon. Hold lemon over bowl to catch juice and cut segments: cut inside the membrane on each side of a section. Cut to release the section from the lemon. Fold back membrane. Continue with remaining segments. Cut lemon segments into tiny dice.
2.
Combine onions, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, oregano, and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Let stand 5 minutes.
3.
Add diced lemon to bowl of onions. Add capers, cayenne pepper, and olive oil, if using. A short time before serving, add parsley. Mix well. Adjust seasoning.
Osso buco, a cut of veal shank meat with marrow bones used to make an Italian stew of the same name, is not easy to find at kosher butcher shops. Still, veal stew meat used in the classic osso buco recipe style results in a delicious entree. The stew is garnished with the traditional gremolata, made of minced garlic, parsley, and grated lemon rind. Serve the veal for Hanukkah, accompanied by
Classic Potato Latkes
,
Baked Potato Latkes
, or
Zucchini-Potato Latkes
. The stew is also wonderful for Sukkot or Shabbat, with a side dish of orzo or other pasta, or of pareve saffron risotto, which tastes great with the rich sauce.
2 pounds boneless veal shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces and patted dry
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1
â
4
cup all-purpose flour
1
â
4
cup olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium rib celery, chopped
2 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme or
3
â
4
teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 bay leaf
1
â
2
cup dry white wine
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1
1
â
2
pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or one 28-ounce and one 14
1
â
2
-ounce can tomatoes, drained and chopped
1
1
â
2
cups brown veal stock or chicken stock or broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Gremolata
1 teaspoon finely grated or finely chopped lemon rind
1 medium clove garlic, very finely minced (
1
â
2
teaspoon)
1
â
4
cup minced fresh Italian parsley
1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle veal lightly with salt and pepper. Spread flour on plate.
2.
Heat oil in a heavy enameled cast-iron stew pan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Meanwhile, dredge half the veal pieces on all sides in flour. Pat off excess flour. Add floured veal to hot oil and brown it lightly on all sides. Transfer veal pieces as they brown to a plate. Reduce heat so oil in pan doesn't burn. Dredge and brown remaining veal and transfer to the plate.
3.
Immediately reduce heat to low. Add onion, carrot, and celery to pan and scrape up brown bits. Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften, about 7 minutes. In a piece of cheesecloth, tie parsley sprigs, thyme, and bay leaf to make an herb bag, and add to pan. Add wine and garlic. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring. Boil, stirring, until wine evaporates and pan is nearly dry.
4.
Return veal to pan with any juices on plate. Add tomatoes and stock and bring to a boil, stirring. Push down herb bag to immerse it in liquid. Cover and braise veal in oven about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until veal is tender when pierced with a sharp knife.
5.
Transfer veal to a plate with a slotted spoon or tongs. Discard herb bag. Stir tomato paste into sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring. Boil, stirring often, until sauce is thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. Add pepper, and adjust seasoning. Return veal to pan of sauce and spoon sauce over to coat. Cover and keep warm. If making veal ahead, refrigerate in a covered container.
6.
To make gremolata: Combine lemon rind, garlic, and parsley in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly with a fork. If not using immediately, cover.
7.
Just before serving, bring veal stew to a simmer. Sprinkle gremolata evenly over veal. Cover and cook over low heat 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Beef brisket is a favorite Hanukkah entree. We tend to think of brisket for braising in one piece, but this cut also makes good beef stew and this way is easier to serve. Here the brisket cooks gently in a richly flavored Mediterranean style sauce of tomatoes, rosemary, and garlic.
3
â
4
cup dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and sorted (see Note)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds beef brisket, cut into 1
1
â
4
-inch pieces, trimmed of fat, and patted dry
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup water
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
1 serrano or small jalapeño pepper, seeds and ribs discarded, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt, to taste
8 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound zucchini, cut into
1
â
2
-inch cubes
1.
Place chickpeas in a bowl and soak in enough water to cover 8 hours or overnight. Drain chickpeas and rinse. Put in medium saucepan and cover with fresh water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Reserve chickpeas in their liquid.
