Kosher and Traditional Jewish Cooking: Authentic Recipes From a Classic Culinary Heritage: 130 Delicious Dishes Shown in 220 Stunning Photographs (25 page)

3–4 onions, thinly sliced

250g/9oz mushrooms, sliced

300g/11oz/1
1
/
2
cups whole, coarse, medium or fine buckwheat

200g/7oz pasta bows

salt and ground black pepper

1
Leave the dried mushrooms to soak in half the stock for 20–30 minutes until reconstituted. Remove from the liquid, strain and reserve the liquid.

2
Heat the fat, oil or butter in a pan and fry the onions for 5–10 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Remove to a plate, then add the sliced mushrooms to the pan and fry briefly. Add the soaked mushrooms and cook for 2–3 minutes. Return the onions to the pan and set aside.

3
In a dry frying pan, toast the buckwheat over a high heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring. Lower the heat. Stir in the remaining stock and soaking liquid, cover and cook for 10 minutes until just tender and the liquid has been absorbed.

4
Meanwhile, cook the pasta as directed on the packet until just tender, then drain. When the buckwheat is cooked, toss in the onions and mushrooms, and the pasta. Season and serve hot.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 364kcal/1529kJ; Protein 10.3g; Carbohydrate 67g, of which sugars 4g; Fat 7.3g, of which saturates 3.6g; Cholesterol 14mg; Calcium 47mg; Fibre 2.2g; Sodium 48mg.

This is the traditional cold pasta dish of the Italian Jewish community. The noodles are dressed with garlic, parsley and oil and eaten cold for Shabbat, the day of the week when no cooking is allowed. Serve it as a first course or as an accompaniment to a meat, fish or dairy meal.

SERVES 4

250g/9oz dried egg noodles

30ml/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

60–90ml/4–6 tbsp/
1
/
4
–
1
/
3
cup roughly chopped fresh parsley

25–30 pitted green olives, sliced or roughly chopped

salt

1
Cook the noodles in salted boiling water as directed on the packet, or until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water.

2
Turn the pasta into a bowl, then add the olive oil, garlic, parsley and olives and toss together. Chill overnight before serving.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 352kcal/1476kJ; Protein 8.6g; Carbohydrate 45.3g, of which sugars 1.6g; Fat 16.4g, of which saturates 3.1g; Cholesterol 19mg; Calcium 86mg; Fibre 4.2g; Sodium 1244mg.

These delicious Polish dumplings of spicy mashed potato, served with melted butter and sour cream, are hearty enough to ward off the rigours of a cold winter.

SERVES 4–6

675g/1
1
/
2
lb baking potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

50g/2oz/4 tbsp unsalted (sweet) butter, plus extra melted butter to serve

3 onions, finely chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 quantity of kreplach noodle dough (see page 132) or 250g/9oz packet wonton wrappers

salt and ground black pepper

chopped parsley, to garnish

sour cream, to serve

1
Cook the potatoes in a pan of salted boiling water until tender. Drain. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan and fry the onions for about 10 minutes, or until browned.

2
Mash the potatoes, then stir in the onions and cool. When cool, add the eggs and mix together. Season.

3
If using noodle dough, roll out and cut into 7.5cm/3in squares. Brush the edges of the dough or wrappers with a little water.

4
Place 15–30ml/1–2 tbsp of the potato filling in the centre of each square of dough or wrapper, then top with another sheet. Press the edges together to seal. Set aside.

5
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Slip the dumplings into the water and cook for about 2 minutes until tender. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon and drain. Serve with butter and sour cream and garnish with chopped parsley.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 364kcal/1532kJ; Protein 10.3g; Carbohydrate 55.9g, of which sugars 7.9g; Fat 12.7g, of which saturates 5.9g; Cholesterol 94mg; Calcium 55mg; Fibre 3.7g; Sodium 164mg.

Also known as egg barley because of their size and shape, farfel are little dumplings made of grated noodle dough. In Yiddish, farfallen means fallen away, which describes the dough as it is grated.

SERVES 4 AS AN ACCOMPANIMENT

225g/8oz/2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour

2 eggs

salt

chopped parsley, to garnish

1
Put the flour, eggs and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix. Gradually add 15–30ml/1–2 tbsp water until the dough holds together. Continue mixing the dough, until it forms a smooth, non-sticky ball. Add a little more flour if needed. Place in a covered bowl and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes.

2
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a thick rope using your hands. Leave at room temperature for 2 hours to let it dry out a little.

3
Cut the dough into chunks, then grate into barley-sized pieces, using the largest holes of a grater. Lightly toss the dumplings in flour and spread on a baking sheet or greaseproof (waxed) paper to dry.

4
To cook the dumplings, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, put in the dumplings and boil for about 6 minutes, or until just tender. Drain well and serve hot, in a bowl of chicken soup or as a side dish. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 229kcal/969kJ; Protein 8.4g; Carbohydrate 43.7g, of which sugars 0.9g; Fat 3.5g, of which saturates 0.9g; Cholesterol 95mg; Calcium 93mg; Fibre 1.8g; Sodium 37mg.

 

This blissfully buttery noodle kugel, which is fragrant with cinnamon and apples and oozing Old Country charm, was brought to North America from Russia. It works best if flat egg noodles that are at least 1cm/
1
/
2
in wide are used.

SERVES 4–6

350g/12oz egg noodles

130g/4
1
/
2
oz/generous
1
/
2
cup plus 15ml/1 tbsp unsalted (sweet) butter

2 well-flavoured cooking apples

250g/9oz/generous 1 cup cottage cheese

3 eggs, lightly beaten

10ml/2 tsp ground cinnamon

250g/9oz/1
1
/
4
cups sugar

2–3 handfuls of raisins

2.5ml/
1
/
2
tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

salt

1
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºC/Gas 4. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water according to the directions on the packet, or until just tender, then drain.

2
Melt the butter, then toss it with the noodles. Coarsely grate the apples and add to the noodles, then stir in the cottage cheese, eggs, cinnamon, sugar, raisins, bicarbonate of soda and a tiny pinch of salt.

3
Turn the noodle mixture into a deep rectangular ovenproof dish, measuring about 38 × 20cm/15 × 8in, and bake for 1–1
1
/
4
hours, until browned and crisp. Serve immediately.

Nutritional information per portion: Energy 686kcal/2889kJ; Protein 16.2g; Carbohydrate 100.6g, of which sugars 59.9g; Fat 27.1g, of which saturates 14.4g; Cholesterol 165mg; Calcium 118mg; Fibre 2.4g; Sodium 409mg.