Kosher and Traditional Jewish Cooking: Authentic Recipes From a Classic Culinary Heritage: 130 Delicious Dishes Shown in 220 Stunning Photographs (7 page)

Tahini is a creamy sesame seed paste that is widely used in Israeli and Arab cooking. Its almost dry flavour combines wonderfully with fresh herbs and subtle spices in this salad to make a light and refreshing appetizer.

SERVES 4–6

115g/4oz/
1
/
2
cup tahini

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1
/
2
bunch (about 20g/
3
/
4
oz) fresh mint, chopped

1
/
2
bunch (about 20g/
3
/
4
oz) fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped

1
/
2
bunch (about 20g/
3
/
4
oz) fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

juice of
1
/
2
lemon, or to taste

pinch of ground cumin

pinch of ground turmeric

pinch of ground cardamom seeds

cayenne pepper, to taste

salt

extra virgin olive oil, warmed pitta bread, olives and raw vegetables, to serve

1
In a bowl, or in a food processor, combine the tahini with the garlic, herbs and lemon juice. Taste and add more lemon juice, if you like. Add a little water if too thick.

2
Stir in the cumin, turmeric and cardamom to taste, then season with salt and cayenne pepper.

3
To serve, spoon into a shallow bowl or on to plates and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with warmed pitta bread, olives and raw vegetables.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 125kcal/516kJ; Protein 4.3g; Carbohydrate 0.9g, of which sugars 0.7g; Fat 11.6g, of which saturates 1.6g; Cholesterol 0mg; Calcium 180mg; Fibre 2.8g; Sodium 12mg.

This mixture of browned onions, chopped vegetables, hard-boiled egg and walnuts looks and tastes surprisingly like chopped liver but is lighter and fresher.

SERVES 6

90ml/6 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra if necessary

3 onions, chopped

175–200g/6–7oz/1
1
/
2
–scant 1
3
/
4
cups frozen or fresh shelled peas

115–150g/4–5oz/1 cup green beans, roughly chopped

15 walnuts, shelled (30 halves)

3 hard-boiled eggs, shelled

salt and ground black pepper

rye bread or crisp matzos, to serve

1
Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onions and fry until softened and lightly browned.

2
Add the peas and green beans and season to taste. Continue to cook until the beans and peas are tender and the beans are no longer bright green.

3
Put the vegetables in a food processor, add the walnuts and eggs and process until the mixture forms a thick paste.

4
Taste for seasoning and, if the mixture seems a bit dry, add a little more oil and mix in well. Serve with slices of rye bread or matzos.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 309kcal/1277kJ; Protein 9g; Carbohydrate 11.1g, of which sugars 6.2g; Fat 25.9g, of which saturates 3.4g; Cholesterol 95mg; Calcium 64mg; Fibre 3.6g; Sodium 39mg.

The French love of liver-enriched pâtés is an inheritance from the Jews of Alsace, Strasbourg and the East who brought their specialities with them when they fled, and shared them at their table.

SERVES 4–6

250g/9oz chicken livers

2–3 onions, chopped, plus
1
/
2
onion, finely chopped or grated

60ml/4 tbsp rendered chicken fat or vegetable oil

3–4 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced

2–3 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped or diced

10ml/2 tsp mayonnaise or firm chicken fat (optional)

5–10ml/1–2 tsp chopped fresh dill

salt and ground black pepper

chopped fresh dill or parsley, to garnish

lettuce, crisp matzos or thin slices of rye bread and dill pickles, to serve

1
Grill (broil) the livers lightly to bring the blood out on to the surface and render them kosher. Rinse, place in a pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5–10 minutes, then cool in the water.

2
In a large pan, fry the onions in the fat over a medium heat, sprinkling with salt and pepper, until well browned and beginning to crisp, and caramelized around the edges.

3
Using a round-bladed knife, chop the livers finely. Place in a bowl and mix in the fried onions and oil.

4
Combine the livers with the finely chopped onion, the spring onions, eggs, mayonnaise, if using, and dill. Chill for an hour until firm.

5
Mound the chopped livers on plates and garnish with the dill or parsley. Serve with lettuce, matzos or rye bread and dill pickles.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 180kcal/749kJ; Protein 12g; Carbohydrate 8.2g, of which sugars 5.9g; Fat 11.4g, of which saturates 1.9g; Cholesterol 253mg; Calcium 55mg; Fibre 1.8g; Sodium 72mg.

These pastries are sold in the marketplaces of Israel. Men balancing full trays of briks will negotiate the crowds in a bid to sell their crispy pastries before the market closes for the long afternoon siesta. Traditionally, briks are made with a thin pastry called warka but filo pastry makes an excellent alternative.

SERVES 4

1 onion, finely chopped

30–45ml/2–3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or coriander (cilantro), or a mixture of both

a pinch of chopped fresh chilli (optional)

4 filo pastry sheets

90–115g/3
1
/
2
–4oz can tuna, well drained

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

4 eggs

hot sauce, such as zchug, harissa or Tabasco, to serve

1
In a bowl, combine the onion, herbs and chilli, if using. Lay a sheet of pastry on some baking parchment. Put one-quarter of the onion mixture at one corner, then add one-quarter of the tuna.

2
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas 6. Heat the oil in a pan until it browns a cube of bread in 30 seconds.

3
Break an egg into a bowl, then put it into the corner of the pastry sheet with the onion. Fold over the pastry to form a triangle and enclose the egg. Fry the parcel until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on kitchen paper, then transfer to a baking sheet. Make three more pastries.

4
Bake the pastries for 5 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown. Do not overcook as the egg yolk must be runny. Serve with hot sauce for dipping.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 267kcal/1111kJ; Protein 14.1g; Carbohydrate 11.2g, of which sugars 1.3g; Fat 18.9g, of which saturates 3.2g; Cholesterol 202mg; Calcium 75mg; Fibre 1.2g; Sodium 140mg.

These stuffed polenta fritters come from the Jewish community of Italy. Polenta, cooked to a thick consistency and poured out to cool into a firm bread-like mixture, is the “bread” of these tiny fried sandwiches. Anchovies are the traditional filling but here a little tomato, rosemary and cheese have been used. Porcini mushrooms also make a good filling.