Ask A South Florida Chef: 5 Traditional Chanukah Recipes

For the Jewish people, Chanukah is a time for rejoicing and being amongst one another in love and unity. Women will gather and bond, preparing for a feast and bringing their families together for another year of memories. CBS Local has brought the perfect guest to shed light on this honor and observance of history, as well as the perfect meals to honor tradition and fill guest's bellies.

Philip Einhorn
Kosher Kingdom Supermarket
3017 Aventura Boulevard
Aventura, Florida 33180
(305) 792-7988
www.kosherkingdom.com

The Kosher Kingdom is a well-known and beloved place to shop for all items "kosher" in South Florida. Not only is it an Israeli Supermarket, but it also has a fresh deli where one can find fresh bread and bakery items, a butcher, fresh dairy, full stocked wine and so much more. We sat down with owner and manager Philip Einhorn to get a few recipe favorites for the upcoming Chanukah and to get our readers in the spirit of such a widely celebrated holiday.

According to Einhorn, a graduate of the University of Central Florida's Hospitality and Restaurant Management program, Chanukah is that time of year when he gets to huddle around the menorah with his family and light the candles. He, like many others of the Jewish faith, looks forward to spending time with family after such a busy year, whereas many family members are thousands of miles away.

His faith has led him to serving the Jewish populations with hard-to-find Kosher food products. Living Kosher is more than a lifestyle choice or tradition — it is a necessity in remaining "clean" and under the law of the Jewish faith. In five years, he wishes to continue providing customers with a full-service market filled with high quality-foods and a wonderful shopping experience. Here, he has provided us with his favorite dishes for the Chanukah season.

Potato Latkes

• 2 pounds baking potato, peeled
• 1 small onion (about 6 ounces), peeled
• 1/4 cup egg substitute
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

Directions

1. Shred potato and onion using the shredding blade of a food processor. Combine shredded potato and onion in a colander over a large bowl, tossing well to combine. Let mixture stand 15 minutes, pressing occasionally with the back of a spoon until most of liquid drains off. Remove colander from bowl. Carefully pour off the potato liquid, reserving thick white layer of potato starch in the bottom of the bowl. Discard potato liquid.
2. Combine egg substitute, flour, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add egg mixture to potato starch in large bowl, stirring well with a whisk to combine. Add potato mixture and parsley to bowl, tossing well to combine.
3. Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add potato mixture in 1/4-cupfuls to pan to form 6 latkes; flatten slightly. Cook 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove latkes from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and remaining potato mixture.

Roasted Chicken

• 1 whole chicken (4- to 5-lb.) 
• 11/2 tsps kosher salt (divided) 
• 1 lemon (half)
• 1 tsp pepper (seasoned)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary 
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter (melted) 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°. If applicable, remove neck and giblets from chicken, and reserve for another use. Rinse chicken with cold water, and drain cavity well. Pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle 1/2 tsp. salt inside cavity. Place lemon half inside cavity.
2. Stir together pepper, rosemary, and remaining 1 tsp. salt. Brush outside of chicken with oil. Rub 2 1/2 tsp. pepper mixture into skin. Sprinkle remaining pepper mixture over both sides of breast. Place chicken, breast side up, on a lightly greased wire rack in a lightly greased shallow roasting pan. Add 3/4 cup water to pan.
3. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°, and bake 30 minutes. Baste chicken with pan juices; drizzle with melted butter. Bake 15 to 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 165°, shielding with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning, if necessary. Remove chicken from oven, and baste with pan juices. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Sufganiyot

Directions

1. Place the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Add the yolks and milk and mix, using the hook attachment, on medium-low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute. Add the butter, increase the speed to medium high, and mix until the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 5 minutes.
2. Coat a large bowl with oil. Form the dough into a ball, place in the bowl, and turn to coat in the oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Lightly flour a baking sheet; set aside. Punch down the dough, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and roll until about 1/4 inch thick.
3. Using a 2-inch round cutter, stamp out as many dough rounds as possible and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Gather the dough scraps into a ball and roll out again, stamping rounds until you have 30 total on the baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel. Let rise in a warm place until puffy and about 1/2 inch thick, about 30 minutes.
4. Place the vegetable or canola oil in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot and set over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350°F on a candy/fat thermometer. Meanwhile, line a second baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire rack over the paper towels; set aside. Place the jam or jelly in a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip; set aside.
5. Using a flat spatula (don't use your hands— this will deflate the donuts), carefully transfer the dough rounds, one at a time, into the oil. You should be able to fit about 6 at a time, leaving at least 1 inch of space in between and keeping the oil temperature at 350°F.
6. Fry until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Carefully flip with a fork and fry until the second side is golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes more. (If air bubbles appear in the donuts, pierce with the tip of a paring knife.)
7. Remove with a slotted spoon to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
8. When the donuts are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to puncture the side of each to form a pocket in the center. Place the tip of the piping bag into the pocket and pipe about 1 teaspoon of jam or jelly inside. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Related: Ask A South Florida Chef: 5 Mouth-Watering Meatloaf Recipes

Brisket

• 6 to 7 pounds beef brisket
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (4 cloves)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
• 1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 8 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 6 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
• 6 fresh or dried bay leaves
• 1 (46-ounce) can tomato juice

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place the brisket in a heavy roasting pan. In a small bowl, combine the salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano.
3. Rub the mixture on the brisket. Pile the carrots, celery, onions, and bay leaves on the
4. brisket and pour in enough tomato juice to come about 3/4 of the way up the meat and vegetables. Cover the top of the pan with 2 sheets of parchment paper, then with aluminum foil. (The tomato juice will react unpleasantly with the aluminum foil if they touch.)
5. Bake for 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Remove the meat from the pan and keep it warm. Place the pan on 2 burners and boil the vegetables and sauce over medium heat foranother 30 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened.
6. To serve, slice the meat across the grain. Serve with the vegetables.

Challah