1,000 Jewish Recipes (201 page)

3 large cloves garlic, peeled

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cup cilantro leaves and fine stems

6 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

1
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teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

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teaspoon freshly ground pepper

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teaspoon cayenne pepper

Finely chop garlic in food processor. Add cilantro and chop fine. Transfer to a bowl. Add oil, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Red Pepper Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

8 or 9 tablespoons vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil

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cup diced red bell pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Whisk vinegar with salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in oil. Stir in bell pepper and parsley. Adjust seasoning. Just before using, stir vigorously.

Caper-Lemon-Parsley Dressing

1 lemon

3 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

5 or 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and chopped

1 large hard boiled egg or egg white, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cayenne pepper to taste

1.
Use a small serrated knife to cut rind and all bitter white pith from lemon. Hold lemon over a bowl to catch juice and cut inward on each side of membranes to free one section. Cut to release section from lemon. Fold back membrane. Continue with remaining sections. Cut lemon sections into tiny dice. Use juice as part of amount needed for dressing.

2.
Whisk 3 tablespoons lemon juice with salt and pepper. Whisk in oil. Stir in capers, diced lemon, chopped egg if using, and parsley. Add cayenne. Adjust seasoning.

Hot Tomatillo Salsa

1 pound tomatillos (husk tomatoes), husk removed

2 large jalapeño peppers (see Note)

1 small white or yellow onion, peeled

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cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and fine stems

1 tablespoon water

Salt, to taste

1.
Preheat barbecue, broiler, or stove top grill. Grill tomatillos, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes until they are soft and their skin is charred in spots.

2.
Put jalapeños on broiler rack or on grill about 2 inches from heat. Roast jalapeños, turning them often, 5 to 7 minutes or until their skin blisters and chars on all sides. Do not let them burn. Put them in a bowl and cover. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel using paring knife. Discard cap, seeds, and ribs.

3.
Cut onion into thick slices. Grill about 5 minutes, turning once, or until lightly charred on both sides.

4.
Cut hard stem ends from tomatillos. Put tomatillos, onion, and jalapeños in a food processor. Add cilantro, water, and a pinch of salt. Process until ingredients are pureed, with a few small chunks left. Add more salt, if needed. Refrigerate. Serve cold.

Note:
Wear rubber gloves when handling hot peppers.

Poultry

As a holiday main course, chicken reigns supreme on the Jewish menu. It is loved by Jews everywhere and is prepared in numerous ways.

Kosher chickens, turkeys, and Cornish hens are easy to find at the supermarket. So are a variety of kosher poultry cold cuts and chicken and turkey frankfurters. At kosher grocery stores there also are kosher ducks and geese.

When I was growing up, a well-browned roast chicken was our favorite main course for Shabbat and holidays. Typical of Ashkenazic cooking, it was seasoned simply with pepper and paprika. No extra salt was needed because the chicken was plenty salty from the koshering process, which my mother did at home. Now the kosher chicken at the market has already been salted and so preparation is easier.

My mother often roasts her chicken whole, with or without a stuffing. At other times she bakes it in pieces in a sweet and sour or a barbecue sauce. Many Israeli cooks bake their holiday chicken with vegetables, especially onions and potatoes, and sometimes with carrots, cabbage, eggplant, peppers, or tomatoes. Another variation is baking the chicken in a spiced tomato sauce.

In my husband's family, the holiday chicken is more likely to be braised or poached in an aromatic broth flavored with cumin, turmeric, and pepper in the Yemenite manner. Jews from North Africa often stew the chicken with tomatoes, onions, and garlic. These chicken dishes that cook with liquid are convenient for Shabbat because they reheat easily. Besides, the tasty sauce is terrific on rice or couscous.

Another popular chicken dish prepared in many Jewish communities is a whole "chicken in the pot." The chicken is poached gently until it is very tender and the poaching water turns into a wonderful chicken soup. Traditional for the dinner preceding the Yom Kippur fast, it is also prepared for Shabbat in some families and might be embellished with noodles or matzo balls. I prepare it often with a great variety of seasonal vegetables. Indeed, this simple dish has become such a metaphor for good, old-fashioned home cooking that people who don't have a chance to prepare it, like to order it at Jewish deli-type restaurants, where it has become a standby on menus.

For quick suppers the most popular poultry dish is schnitzel, made of breaded and fried chicken or turkey breasts. Children adore it and therefore many mothers also prepare it for holiday dinners.

For hints on cooking kosher poultry, see
Cooking Kosher Foods
.

= Pareve  
= Dairy  
= Meat

ROASTED, BAKED, OR GRILLED CHICKEN

Old-Fashioned Roasted Chicken