For many people, potato latkes are mandatory for the holiday of Hanukkah, which begins on Sunday evening, Nov. 28.
Yet it’s the oil used to fry these potato pancakes that is central to the Hanukkah kitchen. The oil commemorates the miracle of the holiday.The story goes that after ancient Jerusalem was freed from invaders, the small amount of oil available for relighting the Eternal Light in the Holy Temple miraculously lasted for eight days instead of one. Therefore Jews light menorahs and fry foods in oil during the eight-day holiday.
Potatoes, which originated in the New World, were not known in ancient Israel. People could fry other vegetables, cheese and bread. For our celebration we plan to make oven-fried cauliflower, saffron tomato eggplant, cheese filo fingers and challah fritters.
Challah Fritters with Sweet Tahini Sauce
This recipe is from Faith Kramer’s just-published cookbook, “52 Shabbats: Friday Night Dinners Inspired by a Global Jewish Kitchen.”
The doughnut-hole-size fritters can be made a day ahead (without the confectioners’ sugar), wrote Faith, and refrigerated in an airtight container. Serve them at room temperature; or warm slightly on an ungreased baking sheet in an oven on low heat before serving. The sauce can be made two days ahead (without the silan); refrigerate in an airtight container.Yield: About 40
INGREDIENTS
Fritters:
A 1-pound loaf plain challah
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup milk or unsweetened non-dairy milk
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Confectioners’ sugar or cinnamon sugar (optional)
Homemade or purchased chocolate sauce, warmed (optional)
Sauce:
1/2 cup tahini (stir in the jar before measuring)
1/4 cup cold water, more as needed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons agave syrup
2 teaspoons silan (also called date honey, date syrup and date molasses) (optional)
PROCEDURE
1. Shred challah in 1/4-inch pieces. Place in a large bowl.
2. In another large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, bananas, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla. Add shredded challah; stir until well combined. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for 20 minutes. Stir well.
3. With moistened hands, roll about 1 tablespoon batter into a ball. Press it together firmly and roll it again, squeezing to compact it into a firm ball about 1 inch in diameter. Place on a plate. Repeat with remaining batter.
4. In a 12-inch wide, heavy pot, heat 1/2 inch of oil over high heat to 350 degrees (oil is ready when a bit of fritter batter bubbles as soon as it is added to pan; but for best results use a deep-fry or candy thermometer). Line a large plate with paper towels.
5. Roll fritters between your hands to ensure they are compact, then gently roll them off your hand and into the hot oil until you have 8 to 10 in the pot, being careful not to crowd them. Adjust heat as needed to maintain proper temperature and prevent burning, and cook until bottoms of fritters are dark golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip fritters with a slotted metal spoon or tongs and cook until other side is browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer fritters to prepared plate using tongs or slotted spoon. Add oil as needed; return oil to proper temperature between batches. (If desired, keep fritters warm on an ungreased baking sheet in a 250-degree oven.)
6. Sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together tahini, cold water, lemon juice, salt and 3 tablespoons agave syrup until very smooth (mixture will seize up but loosens as you continue to stir). Add more water 1 tablespoon at a time until sauce is still thick but is pourable. Taste; add more agave syrup, if desired. Transfer to a serving dish; drizzle with silan.
7. Sprinkle fritters with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with tahini sauce and warmed chocolate sauce for dipping.
Saffron Tomato Eggplant with Feta Cheese
For this one-pan dish, you saute eggplant slices in olive oil, then bake them in saffron tomato sauce, which contributes a wonderful aroma and flavor. It’s inspired by a recipe in “Saffron” by Emily Brooke Sandor and Christina Xenos. Serve with fresh or toasted bread for dipping in the sauce.
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
INGREDIENTS
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
3/4 teaspoon salt, or more to taste, divided
4 to 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3 Japanese eggplants (total 1 to 1.25 pounds), cut diagonally in slices about 1/2 to 5/8 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 medium tomatoes (about 12 ounces), diced
5 or 6 ounces baby tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
PROCEDURE
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Muddle saffron with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar and pestle until saffron threads are in small pieces.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add enough eggplant slices to make one layer. Sprinkle with salt and a little pepper. Saute 5 minutes, turn them over and saute 3 or 4 more minutes or until tender. Remove to a plate.
3. Add another 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan, heat it and saute more eggplant slices the same way; remove them. If necessary, saute a third batch of eggplant in another tablespoon olive oil; remove.
4. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion, saffron salt and a pinch of pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
5. Add diced tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add baby tomatoes and continue cooking 3 minutes, or until tomatoes lose some of their moisture. Adjust seasoning.
6. Return eggplant slices to pan and nestle them into saffron-tomato mixture, overlapping the slices. If desired, drizzle with more olive oil.
7. Scatter feta cheese over top. Cover and bake for 20 minutes or until eggplant is very tender. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Oven-Fried Spiced Cauliflower
We love this cauliflower, flavored with the Yemenite spices — turmeric, cumin and black pepper — that Yakir’s mother often used when he was growing up in Israel. She deep-fried the cauliflower. The method here is easier because we oven-fry the cauliflower, based on a recipe in “The Low-Carb Mediterranean Cookbook” by Michelle Dudash.
Yield: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 small cauliflower, preferably orange (about 1.25 to 1.5 pounds), cut into bite size florets (5 3/4 to 6 1/2 cups)
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/4 cup roasted or raw cashews, halved lengthwise (optional)
PROCEDURE
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Have ready a nonstick baking sheet; or line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
2. Place florets on baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil and rub it lightly into cauliflower.
3. In a small bowl mix turmeric, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Sprinkle mixture over florets and rub it in thoroughly. Move florets fairly close together.
4. Sprinkle florets with halved cashews. Roast until cauliflower is fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes; after 10 minutes turn them over and spoon cashews back over florets so they won’t burn. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Cheese-Filled Filo Fingers
Filo (phyllo) dough comes in packages of thin, pliable sheets, often in the frozen foods case. Some markets carry thicker filo labeled bourek dough or medium-weight filo; they are best for this recipe. Thin filo sheets work too.
Yield: 20 pastries
INGREDIENTS
10 sheets filo dough (phyllo dough), preferably the thicker kind
1 cup finely crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup chopped dill leaves
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil (for frying), more as needed
PROCEDURE
1. If dough is frozen, thaw in refrigerator 8 hours or overnight, or according to package instructions. About 2 hours before shaping pastries, remove from refrigerator; let dough come to room temperature in its package.
2. Mash feta cheese with a fork in a bowl until finely crumbled. Add dill and pepper and mix well.
3. Prepare a small bowl of water to moisten dough. Unroll dough sheets onto a cutting board. With a sharp knife, cut stack of dough sheets in half crosswise to get sheets that are about 8 inches wide. Immediately cover sheets with plastic wrap, then with a slightly damp towel. Work with only one piece at a time, keeping remaining sheets covered so they do not dry out.
4. Transfer one dough piece to a work surface. Spoon 1 tablespoon filling onto short side of dough piece closest to you, about 1 inch from edge; arrange filling in a thin strip, leaving about 1 inch clear on each side. Fold bottom edge of dough over filling, press so filling is fairly tightly enclosed, and roll dough over filling again. Fold the two long sides of the filo, to your left and right, inward slightly over filling, and press gently on these folds. Roll pastry fairly tightly in a finger shape. Before you finish rolling, dip your finger in water and moisten the end to stick the dough together. Press to adhere.
5. Set pastry finger on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap. Shape more fingers with remaining dough and filling.
6. Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a deep skillet. It should be hot enough so it sizzles when you dip the end of a filo finger in it. Fry 4 or 5 filo fingers at a time over medium heat until golden, about 1 minute per side. Using tongs, remove to paper towels. Serve hot or warm.
Faye Levy is the author of “1,000 Jewish Recipes.”
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