1,000 Jewish Recipes (212 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
Goose is a traditional bird on the winter menus of Jews in France and Eastern Europe. In the Alsatian Jewish pantry, goose fat is prized as much as
schmaltz
(chicken fat in Yiddish) is among American Ashkenazic Jews.
Cassoulet is one of the most treasured dishes of French cooking, and goose cassoulet may be its best-loved version. Some historians feel that cassoulet's roots must be in
cholent,
as both dishes contain meat or poultry cooked slowly with beans. Its total cooking time is about 3
1
â
2
hours but you can do certain steps in advance. You can cook the beans and keep them in their cooking liquid in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. If you prefer, you can assemble the entire cassoulet in its baking dish and refrigerate it, covered, for 2 days. Then, heat it as in step 6 for about 1
1
â
2
hours, covering it after 1 hour if the bread crumbs are already brown.
During cold months you can find goose in kosher meat markets. If it is not available, use two ducks to make the cassoulet.
1 pound dried medium white beans (about 2
1
â
3
cups), sorted and rinsed
4 whole cloves
2 large onions, 1 whole and 1 chopped
1 whole carrot
2 bay leaves
2 large sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 young goose (about 8 pounds), thawed if frozen, patted dry
3 pounds chicken pieces
8 large cloves garlic, chopped
Two 28
1
â
2
-ounce cans whole tomatoes, drained well and chopped
1
â
2
cup water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1
â
2
pound beef, chicken, or turkey frankfurters, sliced
1
â
4
cup bread crumbs
1.
Put beans in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Stick whole cloves into whole onion and add to pan. Add carrot, 1 bay leaf, and half the thyme. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for 1
1
â
2
hours or until beans are just tender, adding hot water if necessary so they remain covered. Season with salt and pepper. Keep beans in their cooking liquid. Discard onion, carrot, bay leaf, and thyme sprig.
2.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450°F. Trim excess fat around goose cavity. With a skewer, pierce goose skin several times without piercing meat. Roast goose on a rack in a roasting pan for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Roast 1 hour, basting and removing fat from pan occasionally; reserve 2 tablespoons fat for step 3. Cover goose and roast 30 minutes more or until drumstick meat no longer looks pink when pierced deeply with thin knife.
3.
Heat reserved goose fat in a large, heavy stew pan. Add chicken pieces and brown lightly over medium-high heat. Transfer to a plate. Add chopped onion and sauté about 7 minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan and add water and remaining thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat, turning chicken pieces once, about 35 minutes or until they are tender. Discard bay leaf and thyme sprig. Skim excess fat from sauce. Add tomato paste and cayenne to sauce; adjust seasoning.
4.
When goose is done, transfer it to a board. Let cool slightly. Cut off goose legs and breast pieces. Slice meat.
5.
With a slotted spoon, put half of beans in a large heavy baking dish in an even layer. Top with chicken and goose pieces and frankfurter slices. Spoon remaining beans on top, reserving their liquid. Ladle tomato sauce from chicken over beans; add enough of reserved bean liquid to come nearly to top of beans.
6.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle cassoulet with bread crumbs. Bake about 50 minutes to 1 hour or until hot and golden brown. Serve from baking dish.
STUFFINGS AND SAUCES
 or
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Leftover challah makes a delicious stuffing for chicken. I like to follow my mother's custom of adding a variety of vegetables.
6 slices stale challah
3 tablespoons vegetable oil or chicken fat
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
2 medium zucchini, coarsely grated
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 large egg, beaten
1.
Soak challah in water. Squeeze out water. Mash challah in a bowl.
2.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and sauté, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes or until onion begins to turn golden. Add vegetable mixture to bowl of challah and mix well. Add carrots, zucchini, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning. Add egg and mix well. Cool completely before spooning into chicken.
3.
If you would like to bake stuffing separately, preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-inch square baking dish. Spoon stuffing into dish. Drizzle with remaining oil. Bake about 30 minutes or until firm.
Kosher stuffing for turkey is made without butter, of course. Toasted pecans give this one a wonderfully rich flavor. I like to add grated zucchini to help keep the stuffing moist.
1
1
â
2
cups pecans
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1
â
2
pound mushrooms, halved and cut into thin slices
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 large onions, chopped
1 finely cup chopped celery
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
1
â
2
pound zucchini, coarsely grated
1
â
2
pound day-old French or country bread, cut into
1
â
2
-inch cubes
1
â
4
cup chopped fresh parsley
1
1
â
2
teaspoons dried thyme, crumbled
1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast pecans in a baking dish in oven 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Chop coarsely.
2.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, salt, and pepper and sauté until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
3.
Heat remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a very large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and celery and cook, stirring, about 7 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
4.
Put grated zucchini in a colander and squeeze out excess liquid. Stir zucchini into onion mixture.
5.
Combine bread cubes, vegetable mixture, mushrooms, pecans, parsley, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a large bowl. Toss using 2 tablespoons until ingredients are mixed thoroughly and bread is moistened. Add salt and pepper if needed.
6.
Spoon stuffing into turkey just before roasting it.
This Polish-style stuffing is great in gently spiced roasted chicken or turkey, such as
Old-Fashioned Roasted Chicken
, so you can enjoy the dill's fresh flavor. I like to use French, Italian, sourdough, or country-style bread to make the bread cubes. Challah or whole-wheat bread is good too if they are not sweet. You can leave the crust on if you like.
4 cups of
1
â
2
-inch cubes of stale or day-old bread
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated
3 to 4 tablespoons snipped fresh dill
1 large egg, beaten
2 to 4 tablespoons chicken stock or broth
1.
Put bread in a large bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Add onions, paprika, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until onions are very tender. Stir in zucchini and cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2.
Add vegetable mixture and dill to bread and toss lightly. Adjust seasoning. Add beaten egg and toss lightly until blended. Gradually add stock and toss lightly. Mixture may appear dry, but will become much moister from juices in bird. You can make stuffing 1 day ahead and keep it in a covered container in the refrigerator. Stuff chicken just before roasting it.
 or
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