arts&life
dining in
A Sweet New Year
A
Annabel Cohen
Food Columnist
s always, Rosh
Hashanah is all about
“sweet.” More than any
holiday, this is when we eat
good food and drink sweet
wine.
We remember that holiday
food not only celebrates the
New Year, but is symbolic of our
hopes for the coming year and
is a wish to remove all destruc-
tive behavior from our world.
Whether the meaning is
purely traditional or you are
assigning your own signifi-
cance to an original recipe, you
are participating in a uniquely
Jewish observance. For our peo-
ple, what you eat is as much,
or more, about nourishing the
soul as it is the body.
The following recipes all
are a bit sweet — with natural
sweetness and added sweetness
from vegetables, fruits, syrups,
honey and, yes, sugar.
BROWN SUGAR AND HONEY-
GARLIC ROAST CHICKEN
BREASTS
8 boneless and skinless chick-
en breasts (about 3 pounds)
¼ cup olive oil (extra-virgin is
good, too)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
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August 30 • 2018
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1 Tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. fresh ground black
pepper
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary
If the chicken breasts are
small (about 4 ounces each),
use as is (just trim any extra fat
from the breasts). If the breasts
are large, cut in half and place
the breasts on a clean surface
and “pound” (using a meat mal-
let or rolling pin) the breasts
to about ½-inch thick pieces.
Transfer the chicken to a large
bowl. Add remaining ingredi-
ents to the bowl and toss the
chicken to completely coat.
Allow to stand at room tem-
perature for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425°F. Line
a rimmed baking sheet with
parchment or foil. Arrange the
chicken breasts on the baking
sheet and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to
cool for about 5 minutes before
serving, with pan juices driz-
zled over. Makes 8 servings.
Note: May be made ahead
and cooked for 10 minutes and
reheated at 250°F for 30 min-
utes (do not overcook).
BRAISED BEEF BRISKET
WITH CARROTS, PARSNIPS
AND POTATOES
1 flat- or first-cut brisket
(about 4-5 pounds) visible fat
removed
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
5 cups finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
3 cups red wine, any variety
6 cups chicken or vegetable
broth
2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1 pound whole baby carrots or
regular carrots, peeled and cut
diagonally into 1-inch chunks
1 pound peeled Idaho or russet
potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound peeled parsnips, cut
into 1-inch chunks
Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat
oil in large pot or Dutch oven
over medium-high heat. Brown
brisket, about 5 minutes per
side. Transfer to large roasting
pan or disposable aluminum
pan (you will need the space
in the pan to cook the veg-
etables later), and season with
salt and pepper. (Don’t worry
about amount of salt and pep-
per — you can add more later,
to taste). Add chopped onions,
chopped carrots and celery to
the pan, around the brisket.
Add wine, broth, parsley, thyme
and bay leaves to the pan. Add
more broth to the pan to reach
about a third of the way up the
side of the brisket. Cover pan
tightly with heavy-duty foil or a
few layers of regular foil.
Cook brisket for 3 ½ hours.
Chill the brisket 4 or more
hours, up to 24 hours. Thinly
slice brisket across grain.
Arrange slices back in the pan
with sauce, overlapping slices
slightly.
Note: Brisket can be prepared
2 days ahead. Cover and chill
until a few hours before serv-
ing.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat
the brisket for 1½ hours or
more. Arrange the carrots,
potatoes and parsnips around
the beef and cover again with
foil cook for 1½ hours more,
until the vegetables and beef
are tender. Transfer sliced
brisket and sauce to platter
and serve with the vegetables
around the meat or transferred
to another serving bowl. Spoon
some of the pan sauce over the
brisket with additional sauce
on the side. Makes 8 servings.