We often present recipes for holidays, for Shabbat or other good reasons. This month we have recipes just for the fun of it and because they sound wonderful. Here are some of our favorites from the book Sephardic Flavors by Joyce Goldstein.
Salad
Sephardic cooks call many dishes salads that are simply cooked vegetables served at room temperature and treated to a tart dressing. In more contemporary terms they might be referred to as dips or spreads.
Salata de Berenjena Asada (Roasted Eggplant Salad)
This is a Mediterranean classic. Some recipes combine the pureed eggplant with part yogurt and part olive oil for a creamier result, and a few add a bit of tahini. This recipe is the most simple and widely served Sephardic eggplant salad. Once the eggplants are roasted, discard any large seed pockets. This will reduce your yield, but the seeds are bitter and add an unpleasant texture.
3 or 4 large eggplants (about 3 lbs. total)
2 or 3 lemons (or more to taste)
4 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cloves garlic minced, green sprouts removed
1/4 cup finely chopped, fresh flat-leaf parsley
Pita bread, cut into quarters and warmed
Optional ingredients
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Cucumber or tomato slices
Crumbled feta cheese
For a smoky taste, preheat the broiler and broil the eggplants, turning them often, until they are very soft and have collapsed, about 20 minutes. Alternately, cook them slowly on a stovetop cast-iron griddle, turning them often. You can also bake them at 400 degrees until they are soft, about 45 minutes.
Transfer the eggplant to a colander. Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice. Set the juice aside and put the peels into a bowl of cold water along with a few drops of lemon juice. When the eggplants are cooled enough, strip away the skin and discard large seed pockets. Place the eggplant pulp in acidulated water. This helps the eggplant stay white. After a few minutes, drain the eggplant pulp and squeeze dry, then place in bowl.
Mash with a fork, then mix in the olive oil, reserved lemon juice, salt, pepper, cumin and garlic. Cover and chill well.
To serve, garnish with the parsley, cucumber, tomato and/or feta cheese. Set out pita with the salad.
Soup
Soup was an everyday affair in the traditional Sephardic kitchen, but because cooks usually relied on leftovers to fill the soup pot, recipes were rarely recorded. Most Sephardic soups are simple stocks enriched with rice or matzah, embellished with small balls of beef or chicken. Stocks are often based on vegetables or a vegetable puree.
Sopa de Lentejas Colorada (Lentil Soup)
Lentil soup is usually accompanied with cheese borekas for a complete meal, although you can serve it anytime you like.
1½ cups red lentils
1/4 cup vegetable or olive oil
2 or 3 onions, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 or 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped or
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 bay leaf
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional ingredients
1 or 2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 Pinch of cayenne
Lemon juice
Vinegar
Pick over lentils for any impurities and rinse well. Place in a bowl with water to cover and let stand for a few hours. Drain.
Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the lentils, celery, carrots, tomatoes or tomato paste, parsley, bay leaf and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 1 hour.
Remove the bay leaf and add the salt, pepper to taste, the cumin, cayenne and lemon juice or vinegar to taste, if using. Taste and adjust seasonings. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.
Vegetables & Grains
Vegetables were the cornerstone of the Sephardic kitchen. They were served at almost every meal except breakfast, and even then they appeared occasionally in savory pastries. Grains are not a major category in Sephardic cooking, except for rice and bread which were served at every meal.
Kachikarikas de Kalavasa kon Ajo i Pimyenta (Zucchini Peel with Garlic and Pepper)
This recipe calls for lots of garlic, reminiscent of the old days of Spanish cooking.
3 lbs. zucchini (about 8 large)
2 small heads garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups water
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 generous pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Trim the ends of the zucchini and then remove the outer layer in strips about 1 inch wide and about 1/3 inch thick. You want a thin layer of flesh attached to every strip. Cut the strips crosswise into 1 inch squares. If the garlic cloves are very large, cut them in half lengthwise. If not, leave them whole.
Combine garlic, olive oil, water, pepper, sugar and salt in saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stir well, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Uncover, add the zucchini pieces, stir well, cover partially and continue to simmer for 10 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. If the mixture is still too soupy, remove the zucchini and garlic from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a serving dish. Bring the liquid in the pan to a boil and reduce to a syrupy consistency. If the zucchini and garlic are still firm, uncover the pan and simmer to reduce the excess liquid and finish cooking the vegetables.
Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Arroz con Pinones: Rice with Pine Nuts
This is a classic Sephardic rice pilaf.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
1 cup pine nuts
1½ teaspoons salt
1 pinch of saffron threads (optional)
Warm the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and pine nuts, reduce the heat to low and stir until the grains are well coated with the oil, about 5 minutes. Add the water, salt and the saffron and raise the heat to high. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then serve.
Makaronia kon Leche: Macaroni and Cheese from Thrace
Although this dish will seem very familiar to most Americans, makaronia kon leche was a specialty of the town of Komotini, in Thrace and was often served on Shavuot. The Greeks did not use elbow macaroni, preferring a long noodle. It can be made on top of the stove or baked in the oven.
1 pound macaroni, ziti or penne
1 cup milk
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Additional cheese, if baking
Bring a large pot filled with salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes or according to the package directions. Drain well.
Pour the milk into a saucepan and bring just to a boil over medium heat. Add the cheeses, reduce the heat to low and add the cooked pasta. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until all the milk has been absorbed and the pasta is very tender about 10 minutes. Spoon into a bowl and serve immediately.
Alternatively, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Boil the pasta as directed, transfer to a well-buttered baking dish, add the cheeses and milk, stir well, and then sprinkle with additional feta and parmesan cheeses. Bake until browned, about 20 minutes. Serve directly from dish.
Fish
Fish holds a central place on the Sephardic table. It is served Friday night of the Sabbath and a whole fish with head intact is traditionally served for Rosh Hashanah.
Sazan en Saltsa: Carp with Sweet and Sour Sauce
While the Italians use pine nuts and raisins for a sweet and sour sauce, the Greeks use dried currants and walnuts. This recipe was a Passover specialty in Salonika.
1 whole carp, about 6 lbs. cleaned or 6 fish fillets such as cod, snapper, halibut or sea bass, about 6 ounces each Kosher or sea salt
6 to 8 tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
If using a whole fish, clean and fillet the fish. Divide each fillet into 3 equal pieces. Place them on a platter and sprinkle with salt. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the lemon juice and pour evenly over fish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 3 hours.
Warm 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the fish and saute, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Discard the oil in the pan and wipe the pan clean.
Return the pan to medium heat and add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar, currants and walnuts, and simmer until a rich sauce forms, about 10 minutes.
Return the fish to the pan and simmer it in the sauce over low heat, basting with the sauce a few times, until the fish tests done when the point of a knife is inserted into the thickest part, about 10 minutes. using a spatula, transfer the fish to a platter, spoon the sauce over the top and sprinkle with the parsley and pepper. Serve at once.
Poultry & Meat
In the past, chickens were more expensive than meat. Thus the repertoire of traditional Sephardic poultry dishes is rather small. Meat was reserved for holiday meals. Lamb, beef and veal formed the basis of stews.
Ternera kon Espinaka Avgolemono (Veal and Spinach Stew with Egg and Lemon)
This dish has a velvety texture and is perfect for Hanukah.
Olive oil for frying
3 pounds boneless veal shank or shoulder, cut into 1½ inch pieces
2 onions, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1½ to 2 cups water or meat stock
2 pounds spinach, blanched for 1 minute, drained well, chopped and squeezed dry or 2 packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 eggs
Juice of 2 lemons
Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Pour olive oil to a depth of 1/4 inch into a large stew pot or wide, deep frying pan and place over high heat. Add the meat, in batches, and brown well on all sides, adding more oil as needed. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate. Set aside.
Add about 2 tablespoons oil to the same pan if none remains, and place over medium heat. (Veal does not release any fat and may absorb any fat in the pan.) Add the onions and saute until tender and translucent, about 10 minutes. Return the veal to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and with the nutmeg, if using. Add the water or stock. The liquid should just cover the meat. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer gently until the veal is almost tender, about 1 hour. Check after 35 to 40 minutes to make sure that all the liquid has not evaporated. If it has, add more stock or water and shake the pan or stir well to dislodge all of the meat juices and any brownish bits. Add the spinach and continue to cook until the veal is tender, 15 or 30 minutes.
In a bowl, beat together the eggs and lemon juice until quite frothy. Whisk in a little of the hot stew liquid to temper the eggs, then gradually stir the eggs into the stew. Stir well for a minute or two over low heat (or you could shake the pan back and forth over the burner), then serve immediately.
Dessert
When it comes to sweets, the Sephardim seem to have inherited the Hispano-Arabic sweet tooth.
Sutlach (Cream of Rice Pudding)
This dessert is perfect for breaking the fast on Yom Kippur.
6 tablespoons rice flour or Cream of Rice
6 tablespoons sugar
5 to 6 tablespoons water
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract and/or orange zest
Ground cinnamon
In a bowl, combine rice flour or Cream of Rice and sugar. Gradually add the water, stirring until a thick lump-free paste forms.
In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat. Gradually add the rice-flour paste, whisking constantly to prevent lumps from forming. Continue to whisk the mixture constantly over medium heat until it thickens, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and/or orange zest. Pour the pudding into eight 4 ounce custard cups. Sprinkle with cinnamon, cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Serve.
