Around the Passover Table (33 page)

Oven-Fried Smoked Salmon Croquettes

yield:
3 to 4 servings

My mother had her own way of doing things. On New Year's Eve, the former Miss Greenwich Village of 1928 (she was disqualified when it was learned that she was only fourteen) would dust golden glitter over her red hair and Vaseline-glossed brows. No Donna Reed at home either, there she
potchkehed
the mundane into the marvelous. She painstakingly sewed green and bronze sequins all over our Davy Crockett T-shirts; she painted our names in Revlon's Coral Vanilla nail polish on tin lunch boxes. And when sore throats stole our appetites at breakfast, she served us steaming oatmeal with a scoop of coffee ice cream.

Her salmon croquettes too were special: humble canned salmon fishcakes given luxury treatment with slivers of buttery smoked salmon and lemon zest. I have gently reworked her recipe, replacing the matzoh meal coating with crumbs crushed from egg matzoh, which, made with apple cider, provides a slightly caramelized crunch to the crust. But other matzoh crumbs or matzoh meal will work well, too.

FOR THE CROQUETTES

One 14.75-ounce can salmon, drained, bones and skin removed, or even better, 1 pound poached fresh salmon

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots or
¹
⁄
₄
 cup finely minced onion

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (for a wonderful contrast to the rich smoked salmon; optional)

5 to 6 ounces smoked salmon or lox, cut into fine shreds (
¹
⁄
₂
to
²
⁄
₃
 cup)—by all means, use the less expensive “ends” if available

¹
⁄
₄
cup matzoh meal or unbleached all-purpose flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE COATING

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

About
¹
⁄
₂
to
³
⁄
₄
cup toasted matzoh crumbs, preferably made from egg matzoh, or use
toasted matzoh meal
(crumbs will give you a crunchier texture)

Olive or canola oil, for oven-frying

Accompaniment: lemon wedges; Green Olive Sauce (recipe follows; optional)

PREHEAT
the oven to 450°F.

MAKE
the croquettes: in a large bowl, flake the salmon well. Add the eggs; dill; shallots or onions; lemon zest, if using; smoked salmon or lox; and matzoh meal or flour, and combine thoroughly. Season to taste with salt (none may be needed, especially if the lox is salty) and pepper. Form the mixture into four to six hamburger-shaped patties.

PREPARE
the coating: in a shallow bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice together. Put the crumbs or meal on a large sheet of wax paper or a plate. Using your fingers, spread each croquette on all sides with the mayonnaise. Roll each in the crumbs to coat well. To make the coating adhere better, pat it firmly on both sides of the croquettes. Refrigerate the croquettes for 15 to 20 minutes, if you have the time.

WITH
the oil, generously grease a baking sheet large enough to accommodate the croquettes without touching. Heat it in the oven until the oil is sizzling. Gently shake off any excess crumbs or meal from the -croquettes, then arrange them on the hot baking sheet at least
¹
⁄
₂
inch apart (so they will cook crisply around the edges too). Bake until the bottoms are crisp and golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn and bake until golden on the other side, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Serve with lemon wedges.

COOK'S NOTE:
Lush with smoked salmon, these croquettes need only a squirt of lemon, but if you really want to serve a sauce, try
¹
⁄
₂
cup mayonnaise whisked with 4 teaspoons fresh grapefruit or orange juice, 1 to 2 teaspoons capers, drained and chopped, 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, and 2 teaspoons minced shallots. For a lighter sauce, thin with 2 to 4 tablespoons plain yogurt. Or prepare this delicious Green Olive Sauce.

Green Olive Sauce

yield:
About
²
⁄
₃
cup

¹
⁄
₂
cup meaty, brine-cured green olives (look for olives with a deep, fruity olive oil flavor, such as Sicilian green), pitted and sliced

2 tablespoons chopped shallots

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

4 tablespoons best-quality extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

IN
a food processor or a blender, process the olives, shallots, lemon juice, mustard, and zest to a coarse puree. With the machine on, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream through the feed tube or blender top. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the flavors blend together for at least
¹
⁄
₂
hour before serving.

THE
sauce will keep for about 5 days, refrigerated.

COOK'S NOTE:
This sauce is wonderful with other fish dishes as well, such as poached fillets or
Slow-Roasted Salmon
. It is also delicious diluted with a few spoonfuls of broth or mayonnaise and paired with the
Veronese Rolled Turkey Loaf (Polpettone)
.

EASY ONION-BRAISED BRISKET

yield:
About 8 servings

A featured player in countless holiday productions throughout the Diaspora, sautéed onion takes on multiple roles here, providing not only the wonderfully savory flavor but also all the aromatic moisture in which the brisket gently braises, and even the body for the simple, flour-free gravy.

5 tablespoons mild olive oil

A first- or second-cut beef brisket (about 5 pounds), trimmed of excess fat, wiped with a damp paper towel, and patted dry

6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 pounds onions, thinly sliced (about 8 cups)

¹
⁄
₄
cup mild vinegar (moderately priced sherry or balsamic are good choices)

HEAT
3 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or heavy flameproof casserole large enough to accommodate the meat in one layer (see Cook's Note). Add the brisket, and brown it well to caramelize the meat on all sides, about 10 minutes in all. Don't allow it to develop a hard, dark crust, which would make the meat tough or bitter. Transfer the brisket to a platter, fat-side down.

SPRINKLE
the garlic cloves with enough salt and pepper to season the brisket, then mash the seasoned garlic to a paste. Spread half of the garlic paste over the top (nonfat side) of the brisket, and set the meat aside.

PREHEAT
the oven to 300°F.

POUR
off all the remaining fat in the pan, and add the remaining 2 tablespoons fresh oil. Add about half the onions, salt and pepper them generously, and sauté over medium-high heat, lifting and tossing them occasionally, until they have greatly reduced in volume and turned light golden. Stir in the remaining onions. After all the onions have softened, stir less frequently so they can build up the lovely dark fond that helps them brown more quickly. When all the onions are burnished a rich gold, add 3
¹
⁄
₂
tablespoons vinegar. Increase the heat to high, and cook, scraping up all the caramelized brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, for 3 to 4 minutes, until all the liquid is evaporated.

PLACE
the brisket on the bed of onions, fat side up. Spread the remaining garlic paste over the top (fat side) of the brisket.

SPOON
about half of the onions all over the top and sides of the brisket, so that the meat is sandwiched between layers of onion. Cover tightly first with foil, then with the lid.

BRAISE
the brisket in the oven, basting with the pan juices and turning the meat every 30 minutes or so (be sure to recover the pan tightly), until the meat is fork tender, 3
¹
⁄
₂
to 4 hours. Let the meat rest in the pan sauce for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.