Read The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook Online
Authors: Sharon Lebewohl
The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook (16 page)
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Borscht
SERVES
12
12
Borscht is best made a day ahead of time. It's much tastier on the second day. Also, because borscht is labor-intensiveâand the cooking process tends to leave your kitchen looking as if you've committed a murder in itâwe've made this recipe for a large amount. You'll work hard; you deserve leftovers.
9 medium dark red beets, including tops
2 medium onions, peeled and halved
1 large whole clove garlic
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons salt
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
FOR GARNISH
Boiled potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
Hard-boiled eggs, sliced
Bunch of fresh dill
Sour cream
1. Cut greens and roots off beets, leaving about 3 inches of stems at the top. Scrub very, very thoroughly with a brush.
2. In a large stockpot, place beets, onions, garlic, bay leaf, and 10 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.
3. With a slotted spoon, remove beets to a large bowl and place it in the sink. Discard onion, garlic, and bay leaf.
4. Running cold water over the beets, remove skins and tops. In a food processor, or with a hand grater (a chore that is sure to send you racing to the appliance store for a Cuisinart), mince beets to a fine texture.
5. Because, no matter how thoroughly you washed them, there may be sand in the beets, strain the soup from the pot through a cheesecloth (or use a paper coffee filter), and set aside.
6. Rinse the stockpot, and pour the minced beets into it. Carefully (without splashing) pour the soup over the beets. Add brown sugar and salt, and simmer on low heat for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, and stir.
7. Serve well chilled. Garnish each bowl with boiled potato, egg slices, ½ teaspoon dill, and a large dollop of sour cream.
Borscht, Ukrainian-Style
SERVES
10
10
Like the cold borscht above, this recipe should also be prepared a day ahead of time. It's much better on the second day, after the ingredients have mingled.
1 cup dried large lima beans
6 medium dark red beets
2 tablespoons corn oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 pound stew beef, trimmed of all fat and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 large bay leaf
1½ teaspoons finely chopped or crushed fresh garlic
½ cup plain tomato sauce
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups peeled potatoes, cut into ¾-inch cubes
4 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
1. Boil dried lima beans in water for 2 minutes, then turn off heat, and leave beans soaking in the water for 1 hour. Alternately, you can soak them overnight.
2. Trim beets of greens, roots, and stems. Peel and wash the beets.
3. Heat corn oil in a large skillet, and sauté onions on high heat for 4 minutes. Add beef cubes, and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until meat and onions are nicely browned.
4. Drain lima beans, and place in a large stockpot with beets, beef and onions (with cooking juices), bay leaf, and 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off heat.
5. With a slotted spoon, remove beets from the pot, and let cool on a plate. Also use the slotted spoon to skim foam off the top of the soup (do this again later if necessary). When the beets are cool enough to handle, shred them in a food processor (or with a hand grater).
6. Return the beets to the stockpot, and add the garlic, tomato sauce, and salt. Simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
7. Add potatoes, cabbage, lemon juice, and brown sugar. Stir, and simmer for 1 hour. Add chopped dill and stir. Remove bay leaf. Serve hot the next day.
Red Lentil Soup
SERVES
10
10
This is the soup that Jacob prepared to tempt Esau into selling his birthright. See what you can get for it.
6 cups clear chicken soup or stock
3 cups water
4 cups red lentils (about 2 pounds)
2 teaspoons cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons corn oil
2 cups finely chopped onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped or crushed fresh garlic
2 teaspoons coriander powder
Salt (the amount will depend on how much salt is in the chicken stock you use; if it's salty, you may not need any)
¼ teaspoon pepper
Lemon slices and fresh chopped parsley for garnish
1. In a large stockpot, bring chicken soup and water to a boil. Add lentils, cumin, and cayenne. Stir, cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.
2. Uncover, and simmer for another 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a small amount of water only if necessary to keep from burning. While soup is cooking, heat corn oil in a skillet, and sauté onions, adding garlic to brown at the last minute. Remove with a slotted spoon, and set aside in a bowl.
3. Add coriander, salt (if needed), and pepper to stockpot. Cook on very low heat for 5 minutes.
4. Add onions and garlic to soup, and stir in. Garnish each bowl with very thin lemon slices and a bit of parsley.
Note:
This is a very thick soup. You can thin it down with a little water if you like.
This is a very thick soup. You can thin it down with a little water if you like.
In the Soup
Soups should yield up all kinds of gustatory pleasures and treasures. In addition to the garlicky croutons, fluffy dumplings, savory kreplach, and feathery matzo balls described below, we often throw in kasha, noodles, or rice.
Croutons
MAKES ABOUT
4
CUPS
4
CUPS
The Deli's croutons are fantastic, and very easy to prepare. Use them to enhance soups or salads.
Corn oil
8 slices white bread, including crusts, cut into ¾-inch cubes
Garlic powder
1. Heat corn oil (you'll need enough to cover the bread cubes) in a deep fryer. Deep-fry cubes in the wire basket for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally until all cubes are equally and fully browned. If you don't own a deep fryer, you can fry the croutons in a large skillet, removing them from the oil with a slotted spoon.
2. Drain in a bowl lined with paper towel, and remove excess oil carefully with additional paper toweling. Let cool for a few minutes, then toss in a large bowl with garlic powder to taste. Store in a covered container, the bottom of which is lined with paper toweling to absorb excess oil.
Some variations on the theme:
In addition to garlic powder, toss the croutons with dill, thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning.
In addition to garlic powder, toss the croutons with dill, thyme, oregano, or Italian seasoning.
Dumplings
MAKES ABOUT
35
35
Everyone loves dumplings. Easy to prepare, they make a great alternative to matzo balls for your chicken soup.
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons (½ stick) melted margarine (let cool a bit after melting, so it doesn't cook the eggs)
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sifted flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt for cooking water
1. Combine eggs, margarine, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl, and mix thoroughly with a fork. Add flour and baking powder, mixing first with a fork, then with your hands until it forms a soft dough. Do not overknead.
2. On a well-floured board, using a floured rolling pin, roll out half of the dough at a time to â
-inch thickness. Using a 1-inch cookie cutter (or a bottle lid), cut out circles and place them, one at a time, on a wax-paper-covered plate.
3. Fill a large stockpot with water and ½ teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil. Use a knife to slide the dumplings from the plate into the boiling water. Cook for 6 minutes, and drain in a colander.
4. Toss into hot chicken soup, and serve.
Note:
Before you add them to your soup, you can also sauté these dumplings in hot corn oil for a few minutes, until they turn a very light golden color. The idea is not to brown them, but to add a bit of crispiness. Drain on paper toweling before putting them in soup.
Before you add them to your soup, you can also sauté these dumplings in hot corn oil for a few minutes, until they turn a very light golden color. The idea is not to brown them, but to add a bit of crispiness. Drain on paper toweling before putting them in soup.
Another alternative:
Cut your dough into small circles (â inch high and ½ inch in diameter), or ½-inch squares, to create spaetzle; these need cook for only 2 minutes. They can also be sautéed as described above. Serve as a side dish with your entrée.
Cut your dough into small circles (â inch high and ½ inch in diameter), or ½-inch squares, to create spaetzle; these need cook for only 2 minutes. They can also be sautéed as described above. Serve as a side dish with your entrée.
Finally, for a dairy meal, use butter instead of margarine in your dough, and sauté the dumplings or spaetzle in 1 tablespoon of butter. In another pan, sauté ½ cup of finely chopped onions in â
cup of butter, and use as a sauce. Season the dumplings or spaetzle with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with sour cream.
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