From the tempting dish on the jacket through the one hundred dishes in Jewish Soul Food, this book is an invitation to the kitchen. Janna Gur, one of Israel’s leading food editors and writers, has gathered a wide-ranging and well-researched collection of recipes that reflect the foods of the many communities in which Jews have lived and presents them in a clear, easy-to-follow format.
This is the food many emigrants left behind when they began their new lives in Israel. But after several years championing new Israeli food in the magazine she and her husband founded, Gur was brought up short by a visiting writer at a trendy Israeli restaurant. Wasn’t it important, he asked, to preserve the food — and thereby the cultures and histories — of the places Jews had lived in for centuries? And so Gur set out to collect grandmother recipes, dishes that have the aroma and warmth of well-worn tradition.
In the U.S. we tend to think of Jewish food as the Ashkenazi dishes our great grandparents brought from Eastern Europe, food not very suited to Israel’s Middle Eastern climate, but Gur displays the full breadth of Jewish food. From Algeria Gur receovers Passover Green Chicken Soup flavored with cardamom and a host of green herbs. Ushpalau is a Bukharan pilaf rich with a bracing spice mixture. Pomegranates are the base of the sauce for an Aleppan dish of mixed stuffed vegetables, and the sweet-sour flavor often associated with Middle Eastern food is featured in an array of dishes, notably Salona, an Iraqi fish casserole. Nor has Gur forgotten chopped liver, gefilte fish, and brisket, an American barbecued version.
Large format and beautifully illustrated with full-color photographs throughout, Jewish Soul Food offers a variety of recipes for everyday meals and for dressing up Shabbat and festival meals as well as a little background on the traditions Gur hopes these dishes will not only preserve but also tempt the reader to explore further. Gur has provided a list of sources for ingredients that may be difficult to find. Index, illustrations.
Related content:
Recipe: T’bit — Iraqi Stuffed Chicken and Rice Hamin with Honey and Spices
Made of beans, beef, and starchy vegetables, Shabbat casseroles are pretty heavy. Iraqi t’bit is different. It has all the comforting essence of a very slowly cooked pot roast, but because it is made with chicken and rice (rather than beef and beans), it is considerably lighter. Just imagine how delicious the chicken tastes after it spends the night in the oven wrapped in a blanket of fragrant rice. You can make it with a whole chicken or with chicken parts. Here are both versions to start you off.
Since the rice cooks for such a long time, this is a perfect recipe in which to use brown rice instead of white and make your Shabbat lunch more nutritious.
(Serves 6)
For the stuffing
2 cups long-grain white rice or parboiled brown rice (see below)
4 tomatoes, grated (see page 162)
1 large onion, grated
2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons baharat spice mix (see page 150)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 heaping teaspoon dried mint
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the chicken
1 whole chicken (3 pounds/1½ kg)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chicken stock or water
With Whole Chicken
1. Prepare the stuffing Mix together the rice, tomatoes, onion, garlic (if using), baharat, vegetable oil, mint, salt, and pepper.
2. Prepare the chicken Fill the chicken’s cavity with one-quarter of the stuffing and secure it with toothpicks or a trussing needle and thread.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid and brown the stuffed chicken on all sides, about 15 minutes.
4. Arrange the remaining stuffing around the chicken, so that the chicken is half buried in it. Pour the chicken stock over and bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed by the rice.
5. Preheat the oven to 215°F (100°C).
6. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven to cook for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Variation:
This doesn’t comply with strict Shabbat rules, but if you want crisp chicken skin and brown crust on the rice, remove the lid and raise the oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes before serving.
To parboil brown rice:
Parboiling improves the texture of brown rice and enables you to use it in any recipe that calls for white rice. To cook 3 cups brown rice, bring to a boil 6 to 7 cups water with 2 to 3 teaspoons salt. Add the rice and boil for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain. Refrigerate if it will be more than a couple hours before you use it.
(Serves 8 to 10)
For the stuffing
½ cup long-grain white rice or parboiled brown rice
1 large tomato, diced
4 chicken gizzards, cleaned and diced (optional, but recommended)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon baharat spice mix (see below)
3 tablespoons olive oil
For the chicken
12 chicken thighs
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the casserole
½ cup olive oil
3 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon hot paprika
1 tablespoon baharat spice mix
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups long-grain white rice or parboiled brown rice
With Chicken Thighs
1. Prepare the stuffing Mix together the rice, tomato, gizzards (if using), salt, pepper, sweet paprika, baharat, and olive oil in a bowl.
2. Prepare the chicken Gently run your fingers between the skin and the meat of the chicken parts to separate them and create “pockets.” Fill each pocket with 2 to 3 teaspoons of the stuffing. Be careful not to overstuff because the rice doubles in volume when cooked. Secure with toothpicks.
3. Lightly brush the chicken pieces with honey and sweet paprika. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Prepare the casserole Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes, until golden. Add the garlic, sweet paprika, hot paprika, baharat, salt, and tomato paste. Pour in 4 cups water and bring to a boil.
5. Preheat the oven to 215°F (100°C).
6. Add the rice to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and carefully arrange the chicken pieces so the stuffed side is facing up and they are partially buried in the rice. Return to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven to cook for at least 8 hours or overnight. Serve hot.
Maron L. Waxman, retired editorial director, special projects, at the American Museum of Natural History, was also an editorial director at HarperCollins and Book-of-the-Month Club.