Arts&Life
dining in
Intimate Seders
Passover during a
pandemic means
fewer guests but
plenty of fl
avor.
T
his spring, almost
everything is on
hold because of the
coronavirus. Gatherings
are suffering, with most
lifecycle events being
canceled or pared way
down to the mandated
10 people. With Passover
coming up fast, many are
limiting their seder meals
to immediate family. So, if
your holiday meals usually
include 12 to 60 guests (or
more), this year will most
likely be more intimate.
With this in mind, here
are some recipes for 6-8
guests. Small but mighty.
SIMPLE SAVORY
BRISKET
I usually prepare ½ pound
of raw brisket per per-
son. This recipe does not
require that you sear and
brown the beef first for
one less step!
INGREDIENTS:
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
Water
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Place the raw 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 mix-
ture 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 pre-
heated 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.
Remove the chilled
beef to a cutting board.
Using an electric knife or
other sharp knife, slice
the brisket against the
grain into thin, ¼-inch
thick slices. Transfer the
meat to another baking
dish and stack it hori-
zontally, overlapping the
slices slightly (you want
to shape this to look like
the roast again).
Use a spoon to remove
the solidified fat that’
s col-
lected on top of the meat
juices. Heat remaining
juices in a large saucepan
over medium-high heat.
Strain the juices and dis-
card the solids. Cook the
liquid until it is reduced
by half (this may take up
to an hour), stirring occa-
sionally. Adjust the salt
and pepper in the sauce
to taste at this point. Pour
the liquid over the brisket
and cover with foil. (You
may freeze the brisket at
this point and thaw a day
ahead).
To reheat, preheat
oven to 250°F. Place the
foil-covered pan in the
Annabel Cohen
Food Columnist
38 | MARCH 26 • 2020
038_DJN032620_AL passover recipes.indd 38
038_DJN032620_AL passover recipes.indd 38
3/23/20 11:11 AM
3/23/20 11:11 AM