by Nick Zukin
Transfer the potatoes and onions to a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper, baking powder, and baking soda. Thoroughly mix the ingredients together. Add the flour and thoroughly incorporate it. Fold in the eggs, and then stir in the ¼ cup oil. Place the bowl of latke batter, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use, up to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Lightly coat a large nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon oil. Heat the pan over medium-low heat. Pour ⅓ cup of the batter into the pan, leaving room for 2 more latkes. Using the bottom of a spoon or flat measuring cup, spread the batter to create a circular pancake about 4 inches in diameter. Repeat to form 2 more latkes.
Fry the latkes on one side until mottled golden brown on the bottom and around the edges and bubbles rise and pop in the middle of the latke, 4 to 5 minutes. To prevent uneven cooking, the latkes can be rotated 180 degrees halfway through the cooking time. Flip the latkes and cook on the other side until crisp and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. (The second side takes less time than the first.) Again, the latkes can be rotated halfway through the cooking time to ensure even browning. Transfer to a warm platter lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Keep warm in the oven. Continue to fry latkes, adding more oil, as needed.
Serve warm, topped with applesauce or sour cream, if desired. The latkes can be made up to 30 minutes in advance and kept warm in the oven, but they will be much better if eaten fresh from the frying pan.
Zucchini Latkes with Tomato Relish
Makes 8 latkes
We know that latkes are supposed to be made with potatoes. But in the manner of the modern Jewish deli, tradition is sometimes better off giving way to lighter eating. Traditionalists can claim heresy, but one taste of this delicious, less starchy version of the classic latke should put any flavor-based concerns to rest. The bonus benefit to this recipe is that it adds another alternative to combat the bounty of home gardens overflowing with the fruit of prolific zucchini vines. And if your garden is also teeming with ripe red tomatoes, we recommend our simple tomato relish accompaniment instead of the usual applesauce or sour cream.
1 medium white or yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled
1½ pounds zucchini
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon dried marjoram
½ teaspoon dried thyme
2 large eggs
1½ cups matzo meal
Vegetable oil, for frying
Sour cream, for serving (optional)
Tomato Relish, for serving (optional)
Process the onion and garlic in a food processor until they are finely pureed. Place the puree in a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl; set aside to allow the liquid to drain away.
Coarsely grate the zucchini using a box grater, mandoline, or food processor. Place in a wide-mesh strainer or the insert of a salad spinner. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt and toss to combine. Set aside for 30 minutes to drain. If you used a salad spinner, spin it as you would salad greens to strain away any liquid from the zucchini. Otherwise, use your hands or a flexible spatula to press as much of the liquid as possible out of the zucchini in the strainer.
Place the zucchini in a large bowl and add the marjoram, thyme, onion-garlic puree, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well. Thoroughly mix in the eggs. Finally, stir in the matzo meal.
Preheat the oven to 200°F. Place a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add ⅜ inch of oil and heat until it shimmers; do not allow the oil to reach the smoking point. Using your hands, press ½ cup of the zucchini batter into a ½-inch-thick patty and carefully slip it into the pan, letting the patty fall away from you to avoid being splattered with the hot oil. Add 2 more latkes to the skillet and fry for 3 minutes per side, rotating the latkes 180 degrees after 2 minutes on each side to evenly brown them. Transfer the latkes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil. Keep warm in the oven while frying the rest of the latkes. Serve warm, topped with sour cream or tomato relish, if desired.
Tomato Relish
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
⅓ cup finely chopped red onion or shallot
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon minced garlic
Kosher salt
In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, oil, onion, parsley, lemon juice, and garlic. Stir until the tomatoes are evenly coated. Add salt to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside until ready to serve. The tomato relish can be made up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before serving.
Herbed Matzo Brei
Serves 4
Matzo brei is Yiddish for “matzo pulp.” Introduced to North America by Ashkenazic émigrés, it takes its name from the process of soaking matzo in water, which results in a coarse mash that is first squeezed to remove excess water, then mixed with egg and seasonings and panfried in the manner of either scrambled eggs (the method we use) or an omelet. Matzo brei is a breakfast treat traditionally associated with Passover, when most other grain products are prohibited, but it has evolved to become a morning-time Jewish deli favorite year round. Though sweet versions, topped with butter and maple syrup, are most common, we suggest this savory approach, which picks up the flavor of sautéed onions and fresh herbs from your kitchen garden.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter or Chicken Schmaltz
½ large yellow onion, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 whole matzos, broken into approximately 1½-inch pieces
10 large eggs
2 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as flat-leaf parsley, dill, chives, and/or tarragon)
¼ cup sour cream
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is evenly browned and the butter turns nut brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
While the onion is cooking, soak the matzo pieces in a large bowl of warm water until they are soft on the outside but still a little crisp inside, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, gently pressing them to squeeze out excess water. Beat the eggs in a large bowl with a pinch or two of salt and pepper.
When the onion is cooked and the butter is browned, stir the matzo into the egg mixture. Decrease the heat to medium-low and add the egg mixture to the pan with the onion, spreading it out into an even layer. Allow it to set on the bottom, about 1 minute, and then use a heatproof spatula to begin turning the mixture, breaking it up into large curds as you would with scrambled eggs. Cook, stirring in this manner, until the eggs are just set but still moist, 3 to 5 minutes. Just before the eggs are set, turn off the heat and stir in the herbs. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Portion the matzo brei onto warmed plates, and serve topped with a dollop of sour cream.
Mammy’s Savory Noodle Keegal
Serves 12 to 16
Michael got a little misty-eyed the first time he tasted our spot-on version of his family’s heritage baked noodle, egg, and dairy casserole. Previously, the “recipe” existed only in vague text fragments and the taste memories handed down to Michael’s mother and aunt from his beloved (and long-departed) maternal grandmother, Rose Fertig (whom Michael nicknamed “Mammy” when he was a toddler). Michael recounts: “Mammy grew up in a Yiddish-speaking home in Portland before she married my grandfather, a lawyer. To be honest, she wasn’t a great cook, but all us grandkids and now our kids adore this dish. My mom or aunt still makes it, by popular demand, for every family gathering, which is good since it serves a small army.” Keegal and kugel are variant names for the same range of sweet or savory dishes made with a noodle or other starch base. The different pronunciations relate back to the different re
gions of Eastern Europe where the dish was made.
Cooking spray
3½ tablespoons kosher salt
18 ounces wide egg noodles (about 1½ packages)
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
3 cups small-curd cottage cheese
3 cups sour cream
6 large eggs, beaten
½ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Fill a large pot with about 5 quarts water, add 2 tablespoons of the salt, and bring it to a boil. Add the egg noodles and cook until they are nearly tender but still undercooked, about 5 minutes. Drain the noodles in a colander, shaking out the excess water. Transfer them back to the dry pot. Add ½ cup of the butter and stir to melt. Allow the noodles to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the cottage cheese and sour cream. Add the eggs, pepper, and the remaining 1½ tablespoons of salt and stir to thoroughly combine. Pour the noodle mixture into the baking dish and spread it out into an even layer. Dot the top of the keegal with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Bake until the keegal is set in the center and lightly browned on top and around the edges, 45 to 55 minutes. Allow the keegal to cool for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.
Store any leftover keegal, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a drizzle of milk or a few dots of butter to the top of the keegal and bake it at 350°F, covered, until heated through. (The cooking time will depend on the quantity being reheated.)
Kasha Varnishkes with Wild Mushroom Sauce
Serves 4 to 6
Kasha is made with hulled kernels of buckwheat (also called buckwheat groats). The kernels are sautéed, then steamed to tenderness like rice, yielding a nutty, earthy flavor for a standout side dish. With a complementary mushroom sauce, kasha could even be offered as a red meat-free main. Add schmaltz to the sauté pan and the sauce intensifies the flavor, though you may substitute vegetable oil. Traditionally no herbs are added to kasha, but this modern adaptation with fresh thyme in the sauce and parsley in the kasha itself is more colorful and brighter tasting than its historic inspiration. If served with a meat entrée that has a sauce of its own, the mushroom sauce may be omitted.
Sauce
3 tablespoons Chicken Schmaltz or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound mushrooms, such as cremini, chanterelle, and porcini, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ cup dry white wine
2 cups Homemade Chicken Broth or canned low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
Kasha varnishkes
¼ cup Chicken Schmaltz or 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 cups Homemade Chicken Broth or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup medium or coarse kasha
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces fresh varnishkes (see here)
5 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
To make the sauce, melt the schmaltz in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has evaporated and the onion is very tender and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the flour until it is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add the wine and stir to release any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, thyme, salt, pepper, and paprika. Bring the mixture to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer to allow the sauce to thicken and the flavors to meld, about 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and keep the sauce hot over low heat.
To make the kasha varnishkes, melt the schmaltz in a large saucepan or skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, stir the bottom of the pot to release any browned bits, and bring it to a simmer.
Meanwhile, place a dry sauté pan over medium-high heat. Mix together the kasha and egg in a small bowl, then pour the mixture into the hot pan. Using a fork or wooden spoon, spread out the egg-coated kasha, and then stir, breaking it up into individual grains as the egg dries and the kasha becomes lightly toasted and aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes. Immediately add the kasha to the simmering chicken broth. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Cover the pan, decrease the heat to medium-low, and cook until the kasha is tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Lower the heat to low to keep it hot.
Fill a large pot with 3 quarts water, add the remaining 2 tablespoons salt, and bring it to a boil over high heat. Add the varnishkes and stir briefly to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Boil until the pasta is just tender, about 1 minute. Drain well and add the varnishkes to the pan with the kasha. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons of the parsley and gently stir to thoroughly combine the ingredients. Serve immediately in warmed bowls with the mushroom sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.
Both the kasha varnishkes and the sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance and refrigerated, separately, in covered containers. Reheat both on the stovetop over medium heat. Add about ¼ cup more chicken broth to the kasha varnishkes if it is dry. If you plan to prepare it in advance, it is best to wait to add the parsley until after it is reheated and just before serving.
Ginger- and Orange-Glazed Carrot and Fruit Tzimmes
Serves 4
This slow-cooked root vegetable stew echoes the common Ashkenazic theme of turning cheap and abundant ingredients into a flavor-charged, rib-sticking meal in a pot. In this case, the common foundation is the humble carrot. Over the generations, tzimmes has become a staple dish served on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The understandable rap on tzimmes is that it’s too often sickly sweet. We have put that problem to rest by using fresh orange juice and just a touch of honey for a complex tart sweetness, along with adding a generous dose of fresh ginger, pepper, and dried cherries or cranberries along with the more traditional prunes. Serve as a side dish with meat or poultry.
1 pound carrots, trimmed, peeled, and diagonally cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons honey
3 slices peeled fresh ginger
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick, broken in half
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup pitted prunes
⅓ cup dried cherries or cranberries
Place a heavy 2½- to 3-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the carrots, orange juice, honey, ginger, cinnamon, peppercorns, and salt. Stir in ½ cup water. Cover, bring to a boil, and then decrease the heat to low. Simmer until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, scoop the carrots into a bowl. Remove and discard the peppercorns, ginger slices, and cinnamon stick. Leave the liquid in the pan. Cover the carrots and keep warm.
Increase the heat to medium and add the prunes and cherries to the saucepan. Cook until the liquid thickens to a thin syrup, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the carrots back to the pot, stirring to coat them and evenly distribute the fruit. Serve warm.
Mile End Delicatessen:
The New Deli in New York City
Jewish deli culture has flourished in New York City for more than a century. The names famously associated with deli food are all here: Katz’s, Carnegi
e, and 2nd Avenue Deli. The new kid on the block, literally and figuratively, is Mile End Deli, with its beginnings in Brooklyn and a second, sandwich shop location in Manhattan.
The original is a tiny place on a side street in the Boerum Hill neighborhood, where young, upper-middle-class families mix with an even younger hipster crowd, and galleries, pubs, and restaurants abound. Mile End’s setup is comprised of three communal tables, each optimistically seating six, and a counter adjacent to the narrow open kitchen that hosts five more. Tables and counter were crafted from a repurposed bowling alley, the thud of balls and clatter of pins having given way to the cluck and chatter of satisfied diners. The Manhattan venue is everything the original is not: sleek, modern, and angular. Plus, you eat your sandwiches standing. The setup may not make everyone happy, but it’s probably good for digestion—and no one’s complaining about the food.
The husband and wife proprietors are Noah Bernamoff and Rae Cohen, though manager Zack Fishman holds forth happily on the quirks of brisket. He explains that Mile End uses all the parts, including the fattier deckle, to create Bernamoff’s signature Montreal smoked meat. A kissing cousin to pastrami, Mile End’s smoked meat is dry-cured with one rub, soaked in water, then generously rubbed with a spice mixture heavy on cloves. It’s served in sandwiches and, optionally, as part of a crazy Montreal specialty called poutine that combines French fries, cheese curds, and gravy.
Discussion yields to my dinner: “schmaltzed” corn on the cob, with chile, lime, and dill dominating the palate, a new-wave idea for sure. Like a good Jewish mother, the kitchen insists on sending out a flurry of additional tastes from the menu: smoked turkey rillettes tempered with sweet-tart apricot jam; pickled belly lox with onion and dill, an adaptation of traditional pickled herring; fried baby artichokes, a classic Mediterranean-Jewish preparation; and a hot dog, crafted in-house using ground brisket and a touch of maple syrup, enclosed in a snappy beef casing.
