will part with).
freshly ground kosher salt
white pepper
1 hot green pepper (finger or
jalapeno), top removed, seeded
and deveined
1 Tbsp. sugar
refrigerate.
Stock should be cooled and will
congeal; if not congealed enough
to your liking (gelatin can be
added). Use fish gel as desired,
or discard.
FOR THE FISH
(All the fish can be ground by
your fish source):
ELEGANT VEGETABLE
STUFFED HOLIDAY
BRISKET
Yields 6-8 servings
1 1/2 lbs. whitefish
1/2 lbs. pickerel
1 lb. buffel (some call it buffalo, a
type of carp)
3 Spanish onions, peeled and
grated
6 carrots (the small, tender ones
with the green tops attached),
cleaned, tops removed and
grated
3 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, peeled
and grated
5 jumbo eggs
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 cup of high-quality matzoh -
meal
1/4 plus 2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. dried dill (if using fresh,
use more) or to taste
salt, to taste
white pepper, to taste
In a very large, heavy French
oven or stock pot (nonreactive)
place the ingredients for the
stock: onions, carrots, fish scraps,
salt, pepper, hot green pepper
and sugar. Pour in enough cold
water to cover all of the ingredi-
ents.
Place over medium-high heat,
lid the pot and bring the mixture
to a boil. When a rapid boil has
ensued, partially cover the pot
and reduce heat to a simmer. Be-
gin to make fish.
In a large bowl, place all of the
grated fish, onion, carrots, ginger
root, whole eggs (shell removed),
sugar, matzah meal, water, dill,
salt and pepper.
With wet hands, place a hand-
ful of fish between your palms
and form into an elongated form,
gently add to the simmering fish
stock. Repeat the process until
all the fish is in the pot, it should
be just covered with stock. Lid
the pot and cook on a gentle sim-
mer for 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Turn heat off, let cool slightly.
When cool enough to handle, gen-
tly remove gefilte fish pieces and
place in a container with a lid and
_
_., ... I,
(This elegant and delicious
brisket is pretty as well as fla-
vorful. A great way to get every-
one — including the children—
to eat vegetables, this brisket,
when served sliced, makes a real
statement on your seder table. A
combination of leeks, carrots and
parsnips gives the dish a real
Eastern European flair.)
4 3/4-5 lb.-pound brisket of beef,
fat trimmed (leave some fat on
the bottom side), and a good-
sized pocket cut (have the
butcher do this for you).
freshly ground kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
olive oil, or fat of your choice
leeks, white and light green part
only) cut in half and washed
well
bottle of medium to dry red wine
Portabello mushrooms, cleaned
and sliced thick
FOR THE STUFFING:
Olive oil, or any fat of your
choice
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and left
whole
6 small carrots (use the tender
ones with the green tops),
washed, tops removed and
julienne cut
3 small leeks (white and light
green part only), sliced and
washed thoroughly, therrsliced
2 parsnips, peeled and julienne
cut
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Let brisket come to almost room
temperature, rinse well under
cool water. Pat dry with paper
towels. Generously salt and pep-
per all sides.
In a large French oven, place
desired amount of oil, place over
medium-high heat, and when
hot, add meat. Brown on all sides
and remove.
In the same pot, add garlic, let
brown and remove. Set aside.
Add vegetables to be used in the
stuffing (add more oil if neces-
sary) and saute until all vegeta-
bles are fork tender.
Take browned meat and place
the sauteed vegetables in the
pocket. Use a spoon to push veg-
etables all the way into the pock-
et, and make sure the pocket is
packed. Place brisket into a
French oven or any oven-proof
pan.
Place browned garlic cloves
and leeks (amount to your dis-
cretion) all around brisket. Pour
red wine over the meat (should
be about 1 1/2 inches-2 inches
deep) over meat and leeks. Cov-
er the pot and place in the oven.
Let cook for three hours. Check
occasionally, and baste; add more
red wine if necessary, or desired.
When meat is to desired done-
ness, turn off oven and let sit for
about 15 minutes.
Remove meat, place Dutch
oven on top of the stove, spoon off
the layer of fat from the juices,
turn the heat source to medium-
high, and reduce the liquid by
half. Add mushrooms and con-
tinue to cook until the mush-
rooms are cooked thoroughly.
Place the meat on a cutting
board, let sit for a few minutes so
you can cut with ease. Cut going
across the grain into thick slices.
The slices will appear to have a
stuffed section in the middle.
Serve with or without gravy. Add
sliced mushrooms as garnish to
the meat.
CREPES WITH FRUIT
COMPOTE
(These crepes are wonderfully
elegant and can be used for
dessert, or forget the crepes and
serve the compote with the en-
tree course. This recipes is for a
pot of compote, about 3 pounds;
the-recipe for the crepes is for
eight crepes only. When making
the crepes, feel free to make as
many as desired, but don't dou-
ble the batches. Make 8 crepes at
a time.)
FOR THE COMPOTE:
12 oz. dried apricots, cut into
bite-sized pieces
8 oz. dried pitted prunespcut into
bite-sized pieces
Top left: Brisket that's both tasty and beautiful.
Top: Spice up soup with lemon-mint matzah balls.
Middle: These elegant crepes can be used for dessert or a main course.
Above: Gefilte fish gets a new look with ginger-dill sauce.