Practical but Delicious!

Chef Jeff Nathan is a celebrity in his own right. Yet… like the first, his second cookbook is not only easy to follow, unpretentious in tone, but above all, the results delicious!

Cooking for the family, even on a normal weekday, is fun again. Yes, the recipes are kosher but they have that international flare that only someone of Chef Jeff Nathan’s caliber, imagination, mastery of the mysteries of food preparation and understanding of the delicate nuances of the various ingredient’s flavors, could produce.

I’ve tried many of these book’s recipes and liked them, to pick one as an example here is not easy. I’ll find something that illustrates how well the New Jewish Cuisine has become a delicious blend of the old traditions and the newest trends.

The recipes in this book have a relatively short cooking time, yet their tastes are not compromised. Everything we’ve tried was delicious!

So… what to choose to feature on this pages? I’ve tried the soup recipes like the Tuscan Vegetable Soup, the Chilled sweet Pepper and Pineapple Soup, the Sherried Cream of Mushroom Soup, any of these easily attests to the author’s passion for food.  But… I am basically a carnivore to the core, I will therefore give you one of the many delicious meat recipes here.

Since hardly anything is more heimisch than a good brisket, I chose the following… heimisch yes, but with a twist. As I always liked cooking with wine or liqueur, this one’s is my new favorite:

Brisket with Port Wine and Mushrooms Sauce

Makes 7 to 10 Servings

Tender melt-in-your-mouth brisket is one of my favorite dishes to serve to friends and family. Every time I make it home I make it differently. My latest version simmers the meat in rich port wine with lots of mushrooms, so much the better for a deep, dark sauce that is made for pouring over noodles. It’s a waste of time to make only a three pound brisket, so this recipe makes enough for precious leftovers. If you have the time, make the brisket the day ahead, which makes it easier to to slice thinly.

3 tablespoons canola oil

Two 3-pond first-cut beef briskets, trimmed

2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced into half-moons

8 garlic cloves, halved

13/4 cups tawny or ruby port

2 pounds assorted fresh mushrooms, sliced or quartered, depending on size

3 bay leaves

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat at 325° F

2. Heat the oil in a very large, deep Dutch oven over medium-high heat.One at a time, add the briskets and cook. turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a platter.

3. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add the port, mushrooms, and bay leaves and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in a pot with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 5 minutes. Return the briskets and any pieces on the platter to the pot. Add enough cold water to barely cover the briskets and bring to a simmer over high heat. Cover tightly. Place in the oven and bake until the briskets are fork-tender, about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.

4. Uncover and let the brisket cool in the pot. Cover and refrigerate until the next day.

5. Scrape off and discard any hardened fat on the on the surface of the cooking liquid’ Transfer the briskets to a carving board and slice thinly across the grain.

6. Meanwhile bring the cooking liquid to a boil over high heat. Taste, and if the flavor needs concentrating, boil for a few minutes to evaporate excess liquid.

7. Whisk the flower and water together in a medium bowl to dissolve the flour. Whisk in about 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Whisk this liquid into the pot.. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the the sauce thickens and has no raw flour taste, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Return the sliced briskets to the sauce, and simmer until heated through, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot with the sauce.

Enjoy, we certainly did!

CS