arts & life
dining in
It's A
New Year
Try some new
entrees for your
Rosh Hashanah
dinner.
ow does it happen every year? You
start out small — the immediate
family. Somehow the in-laws call
and ask you what you're doing for "the first
night" Next thing you know, your daughter
wants to bring a couple of college pals home
for the holiday meal. Before long, what began
as a simple Rosh Hashanah dinner for six has
blossomed into a feast for 12 — or more.
Sure, it's easy to simply double or triple a
recipe to accommodate extras. But that often
ends with the pre-stress of "do I have enough"
or the post-game quarterbacking of "why did I
make so much?"
The reality is that while most of us try to
keep menus simple, very few do. Most folks
don't simply serve chicken (or fish or turkey or
brisket). They serve a variety — heaven forbid
someone doesn't eat beef (or chicken or turkey
or fish). The more ambitious (like me!) serve
three, or more, entrees at the same meal. And
often, by the time you've consumed bowlsful
of steaming soup and fish and maybe even a
salad, your guests are "full" before the main
dish is served.
So, what happens then to that recipe for
four? It serves six or eight. Even if we know
that a recipe will stretch, somehow we will not
believe it and ignore our better instinct.
Here's a bit of help. The following main-
course recipes each serve six to eight, but more
if you offer two or three choices. Add some of
your favorite sides (look for great options in
next week's issue of the Jewish News) and your
dinner is complete.
❑
BRISKET IN WINE WITH
CARAMELIZED ONIONS
If you love caramelized onions, you may wish
to double the recipe below.
Brisket
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 brisket of beef (4-5 pounds), much of
the fat trimmed
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes with
juice
2 cups red wine, any kind
2 bay leaves
50
September 3 • 2015
Water
Caramelized onions:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cups thin-sliced onion (about 2 very
large onions)
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
Preheat an oven to 325°F.
Heat olive oil in large pot or skillet over
medium-high heat. Add the brisket and
brown well on both sides. Place the browned
brisket in a large baking dish. Season it
lightly with salt and pepper. Combine the
onions, garlic, carrots and celery in a bowl
and toss well. Spoon this mixture around
the brisket. Pour the tomatoes and wine over
the meat and place a bay leaf on each side of
the beef. Pour enough water into the pan to
reach halfway up the side of the beef. Cover
the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil
and cook in the preheated oven for about 3
hours. Remove from the oven and cool for 30
minutes before placing the entire pan in the
refrigerator for several hours to overnight.
Several hours or up to a day ahead, remove
the chilled beef to a cutting board. Using
an electric knife or other sharp knife, slice
the brisket against the grain into thin slices,
about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer the meat to a
baking dish and stack it horizontally, overlap-
ping the slices slightly (you want to shape this
to look like the roast again).
Use a spoon to remove the solidified fat
that's collected on top of the meat juices.
Heat remaining juices in a large saucepan
over medium-high heat. Strain the juices
and discard the solids. Cook the liquid until
it is reduced by half (this may take up to an
hour), stirring occasionally. Adjust the salt
and pepper in the sauce to taste at this point.
Pour the liquid over the brisket. (You may
freeze the brisket at this point and thaw a day
ahead.)
GRILLED MAPLE CHICKEN
BREASTS WITH RASPBERRY
MADI r cellcr
6 boneless and skinless chicken breast
halves (about 2 pounds)
Marinade ingredients:
% cup pure maple syrup
% cup olive oil
% cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Sauce ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
% cup pure maple syrup
'/2 cup white wine
'/2 cup orange or apple juice
% cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. raspberry preserves, with or
without seeds
1 cup chicken broth
'/2 pint fresh raspberries plus another 1/2
pint for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
To make sauce: Combine all sauce ingre-
dients except raspberries in a large saucepan
over medium-high heat, stirring well to dis-
solve the preserves. Bring the mixture to a
boil and reduce heat slightly to a light boil.
Cook stirring occasionally for 20 minutes
until the sauce has reduced. Add V2 pint of
raspberries and continue cooking until the
sauce is reduced to about 1 cup of liquid.
Add salt and pepper to taste and keep warm
while you grill the chicken or chill until
ready to use, up to a day in advance.
Combine all the marinade ingredients
in a glass, plastic or non-reactive bowl and
whisk to combine. Add the chicken breasts
and turn them to coat all sides. Marinate for
30 minutes or up to overnight.
Preheat the grill until hot. Remove breasts
from the marinade and place them on the
hot grill. Grill breasts for 4-5 minutes on
each side (or until they are just cooked
through). Do not overcook the chicken or it
will be tough and dry. Remove the chicken
to a serving platter, serve with the sauce and
garnish with the fresh raspberries. Makes 6
servings.
5-INGREDIENT BRISKET
This simple recipe is very little work.
5 cups chopped onions
5- to 6-pound first-cut or single-cut
beef brisket
Kosher salt to taste (start with 2 tsp.)
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
2 cups tomato sauce or chili sauce