I was looking for a Peking Duck recipe

Whenever I pass by a Chinese restaurant, my gaze invariably turns to those very shiny, brown colored, ducks that often are displayed so as to be seen from the outside. They look delectable but, alas, they are not kosher… I finally found what promises to be perfect directions for a delicious kosher Peking Duck on the Chef Kosher website.

Here is their recipe:

 

Photo by: nhahangvannam.com

 

Peking Duck

Ingredients

• 1 (4 pound) whole duck, dressed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 orange, sliced in rounds
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 5 green onions
• 1/2 cup plum jam
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chutney

Directions

1. Rinse the duck inside and out, and pat dry. Cut off tail and discard.

2. Mix together the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, white pepper and cloves. Sprinkle one teaspoon of the mixture into the duck. Stir one tablespoon of the soy sauce into the remaining spice mixture and rub over the entire outside of the duck. Cut one of the green onions in half and place inside duck. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

3. Place duck breast side up on a rack in a big enough wok or pot and steam for an hour adding a little more water, if necessary, as it evaporates. Lift duck with two large spoons, and drain juices and green onion.

4. Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and honey.

5. Preheat the oven to 375F. Place duck breast side up in a roasting pan and prick skin all over with a fork. Roast for 30 minutes.

6. Brush the honey mixture onto the duck and return it to the oven. Turn the heat up to 500F. Roast until skin is richly browned.

7. Prepare duck sauce by mixing plum jam with the sugar, vinegar and chutney in a small serving bowl. Chop remaining green onions and place them into a separate bowl. Place whole duck onto a serving platter and garnish with orange slices and fresh parsley. Use plum sauce and onions for dipping.

The more I reread the above recipe, the better it tastes in my mind… I think if I start preparing it now I could still enjoy for Shabbat, tonight. Hmnnn, that might make this Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, especially memorable!

CS

Chicken and Fruit Fricassee

Chef Jeff Nathan, owner /Chef of Abigael’s on Broadway sent us one of his favorite yom tov recipes:

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup dry figs
• ¾ cup dry apricots, diced
• ¾ cup golden raisins
• 2 cups water, warm
• ¼ cup brandy
• pinch saffron
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup olive oil
• saffron
• 2 3 pound chickens, cut into eighths
• 2 onions, diced medium
• 2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a small bowl combine the dry fruits with the water.
2. Set aside and allow to plump at least 30 minutes.
3. Drain and reserve the fruit water.
4. In a separate small bowl, combine the brandy with the saffron & cinnamon.
5. Allow to steep 20 – 30 minutes. Stir well.
6. Dredge the chicken pieces in flour.
7. In a large sauté pan of hot olive oil, brown the chicken on both sides.
8. Transfer chicken to an ovenproof casserole.
9. Pour off most of the remaining oil.
10. Add the onions and garlic.
11. Stir occasionally and cook until translucent.
12. Add the dry fruits, tomato, brandy mix and reserved fruit water.
13. Using a whisk, scrape the bottom of the pan for the pan drippings.
14. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
15. Bake, uncovered at 350˚ F. for approximately 1 hour; or until the chicken is cooked through and sauce has thickened slightly.
16. Serve with couscous, rice pilaf, or herb simmered new potatoes.

Well, gentle reader, having eaten quite a few delightful lunches and dinners at Abigael‘s, having tried a lot of the recipes in Jeff Nathan’s Family Suppers, I know this one will be a special treat and… I plan to have in the Sukkah!

CS

Chicken and Fruit Fricassee

Yom Tov Recipes – From Prime Grill’s Chef David Kolotkin

[Chef David Kolotkin, Executive Chef at The Prime Grill (60 East 49th Street; New York, NY 10017; Telephone: 212.692.9292) has appeared before on these pages (here, here, here,  here, and here). Once again he graciously acceded to share three yom tov recipes with our readers. CS]

Rosh Hashana Duck Meatballs with Sweet Sauce

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs ground duck meat
3/4 cup chicken or duck fat
2/3 cup soy milk
1 3/4 cup-2 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tbsp dried parsley
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme

-Combine all ingredients.
-Roll into 1 1/2 oz meatballs
-bake in 350 degree oven 8-10 minutes or until cooked through

Sweet Sauce

3 cups Pineapple juice
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/5 cup white Vinegar
1/4 cup Dark brown sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch
6 tbsp cold water

-combine the first 4 ingredients and bring to a simmer.
-combine the last 2 ingredients and whisk in to the simmering 4 ingredients. Bring back to a simmer.
-toss the meatballs into the sauce and serve.

Dry Rubbed Double Cut Veal Chop for Two

Ingredients

½ Tblspn Black Pepper
2 Tblspn Sugar
2 Tblspn Salt
5 Tblspn Porcini Pepper (dried porcini ground in spice/coffee grinder)

Mix all of the Above

1 Double Cut Veal Chop
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

Sprinkle the dry rub generously on the veal chop before searing. In a hot sauté pan, using the oil, sear the veal chop on all sides. Put onto an oven-ready tray. Roast in a 350 degrees oven for approximately 10-15 minutes. Medium is my preferred temperature.

Red Pepper Jam

2 Red Bell Peppers—seeded, ribs out, julienned
¼ cup Sugar
1/3 cup Rice Vinegar (White Vinegar can be substituted)

Combine all ingredients in a small pot. Bring to a simmer. Slowly cook down until a jam like consistency (almost dry).

Sweet Potato Soufflé

Ingredients

3 cups Sweet Potato Puree
1/3 cup Sugar
Pinch of Salt
3 Eggs
1 Vanilla Bean
½ cup Pineapple Juice
½ cup Flour

Combine the first 6 ingredients. Fold in the flour. Pour into a greased pyrex baking
dish. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 40-45 minutes.

Enjoy, gentle reader, enjoy!

CS

Sweet Potato Soufflé

The Art of Braising

[Eran Elhalal is a food consultant, chef extraordinaire (about to become a restaurateur). He is also the resident Chef at the Israeli Wine Lovers Club where his delectable creations, cheese and fruit selections greatly enhance the tasting experience. CS]

More than once, have I listened to my friends complain about a failed attempt at braising short ribs or Lamb Shanks and worst of all, after spending hours preparing,ended up with a dry/stringy/pale/tough piece of meat and finding all that right before the guests arrive.

So, from today onwards, those tales of woe, the agony will end.

Braising is a wonderful way of utilizing the less expensive tougher cuts of meat that usually are not fit for dry cooking methods like brisket, and chuck or cuts that would require a long slow roast like leg of Lamb,lamb shanks and Beef Short ribs . Moreover a braise can be made ahead of time in large quantities , making it a great solution for a big family. In fact, a braise is great the day it’s made, but it is FANTASTIC the next couple of days.

What we sometimes call tough cuts of meat are actually tougher due to the fact that they come from high mobility muscles. To give a simple example – cows stand and graze most of the day, hence their legs, chest and neck muscles are very strong. Strong=Tough!

And now, I’ll take you step by step through the braising process…

Braised Beef Short Ribs

Ingredients

6 Servings

2 1/2 Lbs short ribs /3-4 Lbs if on the bone. Have your butcher cut the meat to 3-4 incl long pieces,1 1/2 -2 inches wide.
1-1/2 cups dry red wine Ingredients
1 cup Apple cider
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Lb small red potatoes.If you find large ones,quarter them lengthwise.
2 carrots cut oblique
1 large parsnip sliced thick
2 large onions sliced 3/4 inch thick
2 ribs celery rough chopped
2-3 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
12 black pepper corns
2 Tbsp dark molasses
¼ Tsp smoked paprika
salt to taste
flour for dredging

Method

1. Turn oven to 450F and place a heat proof pan or low edged pot inside. (Earthenware or Pyrex are great for this)

2. Pat the meat dry, season well then dredge in flour. Heat a cast iron skillet or large heavy stew pot. Add 2 Tbsp oil and sear well on all sides. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same skillet brown the vegetables and remove.
4. Drain excess fat carefully place the vegetables in the hot Pyrex pan,add tomato paste and mix well with a wooden spoon .We want to coat the vegetables evenly and brown.
5. Deglaze with wine, then add cider, molasses herbs and spices. Leave 6-8 minutes in the oven so the liquid starts to reduce.

6. Add the meat , taste , adjust seasoning then cover tightly and place in oven.
7. Lower the heat to 275F and braise for approx 5 hours. Check to see meat is very tender. Alternatively you can set the oven to 150F-160F and braise overnight.
8. Cool well in the pan. the best way is to make an ice-water bath in a clean sink or larger pan. Then, lift away excess fat.
9. Remove meat potatoes and carrots gently,discrad of the rest . Portion the meat when cold.( This is important ! ) Reheat the cooking liquid and strain well through a fine sieve.
10. Reduce the liquid until a smooth and thick sauce consistency is achieved. Add the meat and vegetables. Simmer gently in the clear shiny sauce.

(The above photos were taken by Eran Elhalal)

For a wine pairing I suggest a dry full bodied red wine. A big red, to cut through all the wonderful gelatin in the ribs. Try Tzora Judean Hills 2008 or Tabor Mes’ha Shiraz/Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon 2005

Enjoy!!

Eran Elhalal

))–oOooOooOo–((

[I will add two personal favorites to Eran's recommendations:

Château Pontet-Canet Paulliac 2002. A solid wine with berry, currant and mineral character. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. Racy. On March 31 2005 the Wine Spectator awarded it 92 points, as one of the top French wines of its vintage year.

Yatir Forest 2004. This wine from grapes grown in the Judean Hills is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 6% Shiraz. It's aged for 18 months in small French oak barrels. It has a purple color with a strong bouquet of forest fruits, red currant, blackberry and a hint of vanilla. A full bodied wine with velvety tannins. Tom Stevenson (author of the 2007 Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia), described  the Yatir Forest 2004 as "the classiest Israeli wine I ever tasted." CS.]

ALSO FROM ERAN’S KITCHEN:

Passover Almond-Pistaccio Cake

Brisket Recipes

Brisket is traditional Jewish American fare, but it need not be prepared from a “traditional” recipe. In fact, some “non-traditional” recipes enhance the culinary experience! Here are some of my favorites.

For a nice variation on the traditional:

Passover Brisket Recipe

[non-gebroks]
Like most holidays Passover has lots of traditional foods, such as matzo ball soup, hard-boiled eggs and matzah, a type of flat bread. The holiday kicks off with two dinners in a row, where the story of Passover, the exodus from Egypt, is told. The main dish of the dinner is often brisket, a delicious and succulent type of pot roast perfect for larger groups. Here’s a recipe adapted from Chicago caterer, City Provisions that uses red wine, mushrooms and dried cranberries. Serve it with plenty of mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

1 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1 cup organic beef broth
1/2 cup cranberry juice
3 Tablespoons potato starch
1 large yellow onion, sliced
3 to 4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
1 4-5 pound brisket, trimmed
6 ounces large Portobello mushrooms, dark gills scraped away, caps thinly sliced
6 ounces of cremini or button mushrooms, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
Kosher salt and cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 300°F.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk wine, broth, cranberry juice and potato starch. Pour into large roasting pan. Mix in onion, garlic and rosemary. Sprinkle brisket on all sides with Kosher salt and pepper. Place brisket, fat side up, in roasting pan. Spoon some wine mixture over the brisket. Cover pan tightly with heavy-duty foil.

Bake brisket until very tender, basting every hour, for about 3 hours. Remove from oven, transfer brisket to plate; cool 1 hour at room temperature.

Thinly slice brisket across grain. Arrange slices in pan with sauce, overlapping slices a bit. (Cover and refrigerate. To save time on the day of, the brisket can be made a day or two ahead of time)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Surround the brisket with the mushrooms and cranberries in the sauce. Cover pan with foil. Bake about 30 minutes or so, until the mushrooms are tender and brisket is heated through

Transfer sliced brisket and sauce to platter and serve. Garnish with a few more of the cranberries.

—–Amy Sherman.

For a very different taste:

Chef Emeril Lagasse’s Passover Brisket

[non-gebroks]
Ingredients

8 to 10 pound brisket
Garlic cloves
1 quart beef stock (unsalted or low salt)
3 large onions, sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Emeril’s Original Essence, (recipe follows)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup ketchup
1 cup chili sauce
1 cup brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Using a paring knife and your finger, stuff brisket all over with garlic. Place brisket in a baking dish or casserole and bake until browned on top, remove from oven, turn brisket and return to oven until browned on both sides. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Add enough beef stock to casserole to come up 1 inch on sides, cover with foil and bake one hour.

While brisket is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium high heat and saute onions in vegetable oil, stirring occasionally, until caramelized and most liquid has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

Remove brisket from oven after one hour and add caramelized onions and all remaining ingredients, moving meat around to combine ingredients. Cover and continue to bake until very tender but not falling apart, another 2 to 3 hours. Remove brisket to a carving board and slice. Strain reserved cooking liquids and pour over sliced brisket. Brisket may be returned to casserole dish and allowed to cool, then served the next day. (Reheated in oven.)

Brisket is better if made a day in advance.

Essence (Emeril’s Creole Seasoning):

* 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon black pepper
* 1 tablespoon onion powder
* 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
* 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

If you’d rather make a very traditional brisket, here is a delicious recipe:

Baker’s Best Passover Brisket

[non-gebroks]
Baker’s Best chef Geoff Skillman trims his own brisket, but butchers will do it for you. Don’t eliminate all the fat (or you may not have any flavor left). You can make the brisket, chill and skim the liquid, and reheat the dish the following day.

1 whole brisket (6 to 7 pounds)
9 carrots, cut into 3-inch pieces
6 stalks celery, strings removed, cut into 3-inch pieces
8 medium onions, roots intact, cut into quarters
3 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups Concord grape wine
1 quart beef stock
1 cup honey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes, stems removed

Set the oven at 350 degrees.

Trim excess fat from the brisket and place it in a large flameproof casserole. You can also use a deep roasting pan.

Place the carrots, celery, and onions around and on the meat. Add the bay leaves, garlic, wine, stock, honey, and plenty of salt and pepper.

Cover the pan with a double thickness of foil and transfer it to the oven. Bake the brisket for 3 to 4 hours or until it is very tender. Remove it from the oven.

Turn the oven temperature up to 450 degrees. Have on hand a rimmed baking sheet.

Remove the vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon and set them on the baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and roast the vegetables for 40 minutes or until they caramelize at the edges.

Set the brisket on a cutting board and slice it diagonally against the
grain.

Reheat the meat by setting the flameproof casserole or roasting pan directly onto a burner. When it is hot, taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper, if you like.

Arrange the meat on a large platter and garnish with the caramelized vegetables, cherry tomatoes, and roasted potatoes. Serve at once.

Any of the above, is absolutely delicious!!

SYR