Kosher and Traditional Jewish Cooking: Authentic Recipes From a Classic Culinary Heritage: 130 Delicious Dishes Shown in 220 Stunning Photographs (10 page)

45ml/3 tbsp mayonnaise

45ml/3 tbsp sour cream or Greek (US strained plain) yogurt

juice of
1
/
2
–1 lemon

1 round lettuce

ground black pepper

5–10ml/1–2 tsp chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

1
Break the smoked fish into bitesize pieces. In a bowl, combine the chopped celery, onion or spring onions, mayonnaise, and sour cream or yogurt, and add lemon juice to taste.

2
Fold the fish into the mixture and season with pepper. Arrange the lettuce leaves on serving plates, then spoon the whitefish salad on top. Serve chilled, sprinkled with parsley.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 112kcal/469kJ; Protein 10.1g; Carbohydrate 1g, of which sugars 1g; Fat 7.6g, of which saturates 1.9g; Cholesterol 28mg; Calcium 29mg; Fibre 0.3g; Sodium 421mg.

This is a classic Ashkenazi dish, sweet-and-sour and lightly spiced. It is delicious for Sunday brunch and is always welcomed at a Shabbat midday kiddush reception. This dish is best made two days before you need to serve it so all the flavours are allowed to develop. Serve with some rye or pumpernickel bread.

SERVES 4–6

2–3 herrings, filleted

1 onion, sliced

juice of 1
1
/
2
lemons

30ml/2 tbsp white wine vinegar

25ml/1
1
/
2
tbsp sugar

10–15 black peppercorns

10–15 allspice berries

1.5ml/
1
/
4
tsp mustard seeds

3 bay leaves, torn

salt

1
Soak the herrings in cold water for 5 minutes, then drain. Pour over water to cover and soak for 2–3 hours, then drain. Pour over water to cover and leave to soak overnight.

2
Hold the soaked herrings under cold running water and rinse very well, both inside and out. Cut each fish into bitesize pieces, then place the pieces in a glass bowl or shallow dish.

3
Sprinkle the onion over the fish, then add the lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, peppercorns, allspice, mustard seeds, bay leaves and salt. Add enough water to just cover. Chill for 2 days to let the flavours blend before serving.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 94kcal/393kJ; Protein 7.7g; Carbohydrate 3.4g, of which sugars 3.2g; Fat 5.6g, of which saturates 1.4g; Cholesterol 21mg; Calcium 29mg; Fibre 0.1g; Sodium 52mg.

Serve this quintessential New York Sunday brunch with piles of freshly toasted bagels, mugs of coffee and a selection of Sunday newspapers.

SERVES 4

40g/1
1
/
2
oz/3 tbsp unsalted (sweet) butter

2 onions, chopped

150–200g/5–7oz smoked salmon

6–8 eggs, lightly beaten

ground black pepper

45ml/3 tbsp chopped fresh chives, plus whole chives, to garnish

bagels, to serve

1
Heat half the unsalted butter in a large frying pan, add the chopped onions and fry until softened and just beginning to brown. Add the smoked salmon to the onions and mix well until everything is combined.

2
Pour the eggs into the pan and stir until soft curds form. Add the remaining butter and stir off the heat until creamy. Season with pepper. Spoon on to serving plates and garnish with chives. Serve with bagels.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 288kcal/1199kJ; Protein 22.5g; Carbohydrate 3g, of which sugars 2.2g; Fat 21.1g, of which saturates 8.6g; Cholesterol 415mg; Calcium 75mg; Fibre 0.5g; Sodium 907mg.

Every Ashkenazi family has its own version of this dish of soaked matzos, mixed with egg and fried until crisp. This version is crisp, salty and broken into pieces.

SERVES 1

3 matzos, broken into bitesize pieces

2 eggs, lightly beaten

30–45ml/2–3 tbsp olive oil or 25–40g/1–1
1
/
2
oz/2–3 tbsp butter

salt

sour cream and fresh dill, to serve (optional)

1
Put the matzos in a large bowl and pour over cold water to cover. Leave for 2–3 minutes, then drain. Add the eggs.

2
Heat the oil or butter in a frying pan, then add the matzo mixture. Lower the heat and cook for 2–3 minutes until the bottom is golden brown.

3
Break up the matzo brei into pieces, turn them over and brown their other side. Turn once or twice again until the pieces are crisp. (The more times you turn them, the smaller the pieces will become.)

4
Sprinkle with a little salt and serve immediately, with sour cream and dill if you like.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 554kcal/2296kJ; Protein 15.2g; Carbohydrate 19g, of which sugars 0.6g; Fat 47.2g, of which saturates 7.8g; Cholesterol 381mg; Calcium 87mg; Fibre 0.8g; Sodium 258mg.

Made in tiny, one-bite pastries, knishes are delicious cocktail or appetizer fare; made in big, handful-sized pastries they are the perfect accompaniment to a large bowl of borscht.

MAKES ABOUT 15

40g/1
1
/
2
oz/3 tbsp butter (for a dairy meal), 45ml/3 tbsp rendered chicken or duck fat (for a meat meal), or vegetable oil (for a pareve filling)

2 onions, finely chopped

200g/7oz/scant 3 cups mushrooms, diced (optional)

200–250g/7–9oz/1–1
1
/
4
cups buckwheat, cooked

handful of mixed dried mushrooms, broken into small pieces

200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup hot stock, preferably mushroom

1 egg, lightly beaten

salt and ground black pepper

FOR THE SOUR CREAM PASTRY

250g/9oz/2
1
/
4
cups plain (all-purpose) flour

5ml/1 tsp baking powder

2.5ml/
1
/
2
tsp salt

2.5ml/
1
/
2
tsp sugar

130g/4
1
/
2
oz/generous
1
/
2
cup plus 15ml/1 tbsp unsalted (sweet) butter, cut into small pieces

75g/3oz sour cream or Greek (US strained plain) yogurt

1
To make the pastry, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, then rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2
Add the sour cream or yogurt and mix together to form a dough. Add 5ml/1 tsp water if necessary. Wrap the dough in a plastic bag and chill for about 2 hours.

3
To make the filling, heat the butter, fat or oil in a pan, add the onions and fresh mushrooms, if using, and fry until soft and browned. Add the buckwheat and cook until slightly browned. Add the dried mushrooms and stock and cook over a medium-high heat until the liquid has been absorbed. Leave to cool, then stir in the egg and season well.

4
Preheat the oven to 200º C/400ºF/Gas 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 3mm/
1
⁄
8
in thickness, then cut into rectangles (about 7.5 x 16cm/3 x 6
1
⁄
4
in). Place 2–3 spoonfuls of the filling in the middle of each piece and brush the edges with water, fold up and pinch together to seal. Bake for 15 minutes.