1,000 Jewish Recipes (151 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
Eating
jahnoon
, also spelled
jihnoon
, a pastry that bakes all night, is a Shabbat tradition in most Yemenite homes. In fact, this flaky pastry has caught on in Israel, and now many Jews of all origins enjoy it for a leisurely Shabbat brunch. In Israel, and in some Israeli and kosher grocery stores in the United States, you can buy the dough frozen, shaped, and ready to bake. The pastries are served on their own, with sugar for sprinkling, or accompanied by hard boiled eggs or
Brown Eggs
. Another favorite accompaniment is
Fresh Tomato Salsa, Yemenite Style
, as well as a bowl of freshly grated tomatoes for children and for those who don't want the fire of salsa. Some people serve slow-cooked red beans on the side.
The sweetness and richness of the dough varies with the person making it. Some versions are made with large amounts of sugar, while others contain just a touch of sugar or honey. The dough is spread with margarine or
samneh
, the Yemenite clarified butter resembling Indian ghee, then folded to make it flaky.
4 cups all-purpose flour
1
â
4
cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1
1
â
2
teaspoons salt
1 large egg
About 1
1
â
3
cups water
1
â
2
to
3
â
4
cup (1 to 1
1
â
2
sticks) margarine or butter, cut into 6 to 8 pieces
1.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor and process to blend. Add egg and 1 cup water and process with brief pulses to mix. With motor running, gradually add enough of remaining water so mixture comes together to a smooth, fairly stiff dough. It will be sticky.
2.
Remove dough from processor. Knead dough well by slapping it vigorously on the work surface. Divide into 6 to 8 pieces and knead each one with a slapping motion until smooth. Roll each in your palm to a ball. Put on an oiled plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
3.
Grease working surface and rolling pin. Let margarine stand at room temperature until very soft. Roll out 1 ball of dough on oiled surface to a very thin square. To help stretch dough, pull it gently from time to time by hand, until very thin. If dough tears, simply press it together. Brush dough with one of the pieces of soft margarine. Fold dough in half, then in half again to make a long strip. Roll up strip from a short side into a tight cylinder. Put in a greased, shallow square baking dish. Cover with foil and a lid and refrigerate at least 2 or up to 8 hours.
4.
Preheat oven to 200°F. Bake pastries in their covered dish overnight or 13 to 14 hours or until golden brown. Serve hot.
Appetizers
Appetizers are an important part of Shabbat and holiday dinners. The best known of Jewish appetizers is probably chopped liver. This is primarily an Ashkenazic specialty and is probably the favorite beginning for a
fleishig meal
(one containing meat). As a child, I remember having it very often. Today my mother and I often make vegetarian or "mock" chopped liver instead. A delicious appetizer in its own right, it is made in numerous variations.
Although some Sephardic Jews also serve chopped liver, they prepare cooked vegetable appetizers more often. Especially popular are tomato dips, which may be moderately spicy or very hot, as well as salads and spreads based on grilled or broiled peppers and eggplants seasoned with olive oil or tahini.
Festive meals, whether meat or dairy, often begin with an appetizer or first course of fish. For Shabbat it's usually a home-cooked fresh fish. For other occasions, like a festive brunch, it's more likely to be smoked or pickled fish or lox purchased from a deli. To make a dinner even more festive, many cooks like to serve several appetizers by adding a few simple salads to the table along with the fish or chopped liver. Olives and pickles are an easy addition to the array of appetizers.
Everyone loves savory filled pastries, from Ashkenazic knishes to Sephardic
bourekas
, from Russian
piroshki
, to fried Moroccan cigars. In most families, homemade pastries are prepared for special occasions and sometimes for Shabbat. For some of these recipes, many buy pastry dough so they're easier to make and the family can enjoy them more often.
Perhaps the most famous Israeli appetizer is falafel, or chickpea (garbanzo bean) croquettes. Falafel is not served for Shabbat or other holidays. Instead it is a casual appetizer, party snack, or quick meal.
In Israel, an assortment of appetizers might be served as a light meal or party menu. There might be hummus, tahini, or cheese or vegetable spreads. Other elements on the table are cut vegetables and perhaps some sliced cheeses or, if there's no cheese, some sliced cold meats. The breads are chosen according to the type of appe-tizerâpita is the natural choice for serving with hummus, tahini, or marinated eggplant slices, while challah or rye bread is a favorite with chopped liver.
= Pareve  
= Dairy  
= MeatCHOPPED LIVER VARIATIONS
This is a most popular appetizer in Jewish cooking and can be found in almost every deli. But it's very easy to make at home. The secret is to brown the onions thoroughly and to season the chopped liver well. My mother and I use oil for sautéing the onions but you can substitute chicken fat if you like.
At some delis beef liver is used, but in my family we always make it with chicken liver. The liver is broiled, not sautéed, because broiling is necessary to remove the blood to make it kosher, instead of simply salting, as with other meats.
Some people prefer their chopped liver to be chunky rather than smooth, and so they either chop the mixture with a knife or grind it in a meat grinder. If you like it smooth, simply use a food processor.
Serve the liver with any bread or cracker you like. Traditional choices are rye bread, challah, or, on Passover, matzo.
1 pound chicken livers
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large hard boiled eggs, coarsely grated
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Lettuce leaves and tomato slices for serving (optional)
1.
Preheat broiler with rack about 3 inches from heat source. Rinse livers and pat dry on paper towels; cut off any green spots. Put livers on foil-lined broiler rack and sprinkle with kosher salt. Broil 3 minutes or until livers brown lightly on top. Turn them over, sprinkle second side with salt, and broil 3 to 4 more minutes or until cooked through and color is no longer pink; check by cutting with a sharp knife. Discard juices from foil. Cool livers slightly.
2.
Heat oil in large, heavy skillet. Add onions and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring often, about 15 minutes or until tender and well browned.
3.
Chop the liver in a food processor. Add onions and chop with brief pulses until blended in. Transfer to a bowl and lightly mix in eggs. Season well with salt and pepper. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve, up to 2 days. Serve cold, in scoops on lettuce leaves and garnished with tomato slices, if using.
When I was trying to find a way to reduce the fat in chopped liver but still enjoy the authentic flavor, I experimented with blending in various ingredients, including baked eggplant and sautéed mushrooms. Then I thought of adding chickpeas to the liver. My family and I were delighted with this new version. It is truly delicious, easy to make, and, in our house, it is the chopped liver recipe we eat most often.
8 to 10 ounces chicken livers
Kosher salt
1 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 to 7 tablespoons chicken stock
One 15-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, or 1
2
â
3
cups cooked chickpeas
1 large hard boiled egg, grated, or whites of 2 large hard boiled eggs, chopped
Salt (optional) and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1.
Preheat broiler with rack about 3 inches from heat source. Rinse livers and pat dry on paper towels; cut off any green spots. Put livers on foil-lined broiler rack and sprinkle with kosher salt. Broil 3 minutes or until livers brown lightly on top. Turn them over, sprinkle second side with salt, and broil 3 to 4 more minutes or until cooked through and color is no longer pink; check by cutting with a sharp knife. Discard juices from foil. Cool livers slightly.
2.
Heat oil in large, heavy skillet. Add onions and sauté over medium-low heat, stirring often, about 15 minutes or until well browned; add 1 or 2 tablespoons stock during sautéing if pan becomes dry.
3.
Grind chickpeas and 4 tablespoons broth in a food processor until mixture is smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Chop the liver in food processor. Add onions and chop with brief pulses until blended in. Return chickpeas to processor and pulse to blend, adding 1 tablespoon broth if needed. Transfer to a bowl. Lightly mix in egg. Add salt if needed; season generously with pepper. Serve cold.
