ARTS&LIFE DINING-IN
Beefing Up the
BRISKET Here are creative side dishes to enhance your Passover dining.
M
aybe I’m different, but I like the challenge of cooking delicious, creative side dishes to accompany my favorite Passover brisket. But not everyone feels the way I do, I’m certain. So along with the “same-old,” we know more than ever what’s possible. There’s Annabel no reason most Cohen Contributing any food cannot Writer be adapted, if needed, to comply with Passover customs. We’re pretty lucky that we have so many choices. If you’re Sephardic, as I am, your choices are even greater — we can include rice and beans with our Passover meal. In the old days, while some matzah-based dishes were created especially for the holiday, most people prepared the same foods they ate
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every Shabbat, with just a few Pesachdik modifications. Here we offer some old and some new ideas for Passover, and some inspiration to get you thinking about the possibilities to how you can adapt your favorite cuisine for the holiday. After all — there are eight days of eating, and gefilte fish and potato kugel on a daily basis can get boring very fast. EASY FOIL-ROASTED BRISKET Ingredients 1 4-5 pound beef brisket, trimmed of most of the fat Kosher salt and pepper 4 cups thin-sliced onions 1 can (about 15-ounces) tomato sauce 2 Tbsp. fresh minced garlic Directions Preheat oven to 350F. Stack two very large lengths (about 30-inches each) of foil on a
clean surface. Arrange the onions in the center of the foil (where the brisket will lay). Sprinkle the garlic over the onions. Pour the tomato sauce over the onions. Lay the brisket over the onions and season it well with salt and pepper. Bring up the sides of the foil and form into a package, sealing the edges well. Place the package on a baking sheet and cook for 4 hours. Remove from the oven and chill overnight. Carefully remove the brisket from the foil and place on a cutting board. Pour the remaining ingredients into a bowl and set aside. Using a sharp knife or electric knife, slice the beef against the grain into thin slices. Place the brisket slices (stacked like a loaf of bread) in a glass or ceramic baking dish large enough to hold them. Remove the hardened, congealed fat from the juices and onions in the bowl. Transfer the onion mixture to the
bowl of a food processor or blender and process or blend until smooth. Pour this over around the brisket. Wrap the brisket with plastic wrap until ready to serve (up to a day ahead). To reheat, Preheat the oven to 250F. Remove the wrap from the baking dish. Place the brisket in the oven and heat for 1-2 hours, until very tender. If the meat becomes too brown, cover with foil. Taste the beef and juices for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste before serving. (It’s important to heat the beef uncovered to give the brisket an appetizing color). Makes 6-10 servings. CHUNKY RATATOUILLE This doubles as a fabulous side dish or an entree option for vegetarians/vegans. It’s yummy to boot. Ingredients 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 large red onion cut into 1-inch chunks 2 tsp. minced garlic
