1,000 Jewish Recipes (203 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
1
â
3
cup walnut halves
1 large shallot, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, halved and sliced
6 to 8 medium noodles or fettuccine
1 tablespoon walnut oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley plus a few sprigs for garnish
1.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Trim excess fat around chicken cavity; remove giblets. Rub chicken all over with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and sprinkle it lightly with pepper. Set chicken in a roasting pan just large enough to contain it. Roast chicken, basting it occasionally, about 1 hour. To check whether chicken is done, insert a skewer into thickest part of thigh; juices that run from chicken should be clear. If juices are pink, continue roasting chicken a few more minutes and check again.
2.
Meanwhile, toast walnuts in a baking dish in oven, shaking it occasionally, about 7 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
3.
Heat 1 or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add shallot, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and sauté over medium-high heat about 3 minutes or until mushrooms brown lightly.
4.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt, then fettuccine. Cook uncovered over high heat, separating strands occasionally with a fork, 2 to 5 minutes or until tender but firm to the bite. Drain well and transfer to pan of mushrooms. Add 1 tablespoon walnut oil, 3 tablespoons of toasted walnuts, and chopped parsley; toss mixture. Season it with salt and pepper.
5.
To serve, set chicken on a heated platter and spoon pasta-mushroom mixture around it. Garnish with parsley sprigs. Sprinkle pasta with remaining toasted walnuts. Carve chicken at the table.
There are many theories on why Chinese recipes are so popular on Jewish menus. A friend of mine in St. Louis said that when she was growing up, once a week her mother wanted a break from cooking, so they went out to Chinese restaurants to taste food that was exotic and different. I think that with some families the opposite may be true, that the Chinese sweet and sour taste is familiar from Ashkenazic cooking. Still a third theory is that Chinese sauces do not contain dairy products and thus are perfect for serving with meats at a kosher meal.
No matter what theory you subscribe to, this chicken glazed in a ginger-flavored sauce is always a hit at dinner parties. Besides, it's easy to prepare.
One 3
1
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2
-pound chicken, cut into pieces, or 3 pounds drumsticks
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1
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3
cup ketchup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1
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2
cup water
1
1
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2
teaspoons potato starch
Few drops hot pepper sauce (optional)
1.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a roasting pan or spray it with oil spray. Put chicken in pan in 1 layer and sprinkle with salt and white pepper. Roast 45 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; cut in thickest part to check.
2.
When chicken is nearly done, combine ginger, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, water, and potato starch in a small saucepan and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens and comes to a simmer. Add hot pepper sauce, if using, to taste. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before using.
3.
Drain off fat from pan of chicken. Brush chicken with about half of sauce. Roast 5 minutes. Turn pieces over and brush with remaining sauce. Roast 5 to 10 more minutes or until glazed and browned. Serve hot.
Every Jewish mother in Israel seems to make this dish. The reason is simpleâthe children always love it. And so do the adults. Besides, it's easy to make. Cumin and paprika are the most popular seasonings, and in some homes, turmeric as well, as it gives the chicken and potatoes a lovely orange hue. Serve the chicken with
Everyday Israeli Salad
and with
Zucchini in Israeli Tomato Sauce
.
Most people leave the skin on the chicken pieces, but the recipe is still good if you remove the skin; since the chicken is covered as it bakes, the pieces stay moist. You can use chicken breasts but thighs remain more succulent because of the fairly long baking time.
4 pounds boiling potatoes, scrubbed
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1
1
â
2
teaspoons ground turmeric (optional)
1
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4
to
1
â
2
teaspoon hot paprika or cayenne pepper (optional)
3
â
4
teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
1
â
2
to
3
â
4
teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil or a little oil spray
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 pounds chicken thighs
1
1
â
2
pounds onions, halved and sliced
1.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel potatoes if you like. Slice them about 3/8-inch thick. Mix cumin, paprika, turmeric, and hot paprika if using,
3
â
4
teaspoon ground pepper, and
1
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2
to
3
â
4
teaspoon salt in a bowl.
2.
Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a large roasting pan or spray it with oil spray. Add potatoes and sprinkle them evenly with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle potatoes with garlic. Top potatoes with chicken pieces and season them on both sides with spice mixture. Rub mixture into chicken. Top chicken with sliced onions. Cover tightly with foil and bake 1 to 1
1
â
4
hours or until chicken is tender when pierced in thickest part with a knife. Potatoes should be tender as well.
3.
A short time before serving, uncover chicken. Adjust broiler rack so pan of chicken will be about 4 inches from heat source. Uncover chicken and broil it about 5 minutes or until browned; do not let onions burn. Serve hot.
Choose dark meat, white meat, or some pieces of each according to your family's preferences. This is a good way to prepare lean chicken breasts, as the marinade helps prevent them from drying out. Still, richer chicken legs will be even moister. If you like, garnish the platter of chicken with orange slices. I love this chicken with jasmine rice or brown rice and with cooked carrots and green beans.
1
â
4
cup orange juice
2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 medium shallot, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1
â
4
teaspoon ground cloves
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
2
3
â
4
pounds chicken pieces
1.
Mix orange juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, oil, honey, grated orange rind, shallot, ginger, cloves, and pepper in a shallow dish. Add chicken pieces and turn to coat both sides. Rub marinade into chicken. Cover and refrigerate chicken 2 hours or up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
2.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Put chicken with its marinade in a small roasting pan. Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Turn chicken and baste with marinade. Bake 10 minutes; baste again, and cover with foil if chicken is deep brown. Continue baking about 20 more minutes or until chicken is tender. Leg and breast pieces should be tender when pierced in thickest part with a thin, sharp knife and juices that run out of leg pieces should be clear, not pink. Serve hot.
I first learned to prepare this tasty Shabbat entree when I lived in Israel, and I have made it often over the years. What makes it delicious is that the rice gains so much taste from the chicken. For many years I used long-grain white rice and although it tasted great, it's texture was very soft. Recently I discovered that I like this dish better when I make it with brown rice, as its longer cooking time makes it the perfect partner for the chicken.
Serve this Sephardic-style chicken and rice with
Zucchini in Israeli Tomato Sauce
or with
Glazed Carrots
.
1 or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1
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â
2
cups brown rice
1
â
2
teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
3
1
â
3
cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
One 3
1
â
2
-pound chicken, quartered, or 2
1
â
2
to 3 pounds chicken pieces
Fresh cilantro or parsley sprigs
1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a heavy skillet. Add onion and sauté over medium heat, stirring often, about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
2.
Transfer onion to a large shallow baking dish. Add rice and mix with onion.
3.
Mix pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and paprika in a small bowl. Set aside 2 teaspoons of spice mixture for seasoning chicken. Add remaining mixture to 3
1
â
3
cups cold water. Add salt and mix well. Pour evenly over rice in baking dish. Top with chicken pieces, skin side up. Sprinkle chicken with reserved spice mixture. There will appear to be a lot of water but rice will absorb it as it bakes.
