Recipes For Hanukkah
Chef David Walzog is a man who knows all about beef.
He is the executive chef of Strip House, Monkey Bar and Michael Jordan's Steakhouse. His latest project is a steakhouse in Houston, Texas, slated to open in early 2004.
The Saturday Early Show asked him to cook up a delicious meal with our special entertaining budget of $60 -- just in time for Hanukkah, which began Friday.
Walzog has been praised for his culinary skills by David Rosengarten of Gourmet, Ruth Reichl of The New York Times, and Hal Rubenstein and Gael Greene of New York magazine. In addition, Walzog is a three-time nominee for the James Beard/Perrier-Jouet Rising Chef Award. In 2003, the Zagat restaurant guide named Strip House one of the top five steakhouses in New York City. In 2003, Walzog also opened Strip House in Livingston, N.J.
During a 15-year career as a chef and restaurateur, Walzog has specialized in Southwestern and Western cooking with a reputation for bold, lusty, bountiful and flavorful cuisine. In addition to all his other activities, he appears regularly on the Food Network.
Walzog lives in New Jersey with his wife and their two children.
His Hanukkah menu: an appetizer of Potato Pancakes with Three Creams; an entrée of Veal Brisket with Aromatic Vegetables; and for dessert, Caramelized Apple Popovers.
Hanukkah (Chanukah), the Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the festival of lights, is an eight-day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev.
The holiday began at sunset on December 19, and lasts for eight days.
The story of Hanukkah begins during the reign of Alexander the Great. Alexander conquered Syria, Egypt and Palestine, but allowed the lands under his control to continue observing their own religions and retain a certain degree of autonomy. Under this relatively benevolent rule, many Jews assimilated much of Hellenistic culture, adopting the language, the customs and the dress of the Greeks.
More than a century later, a successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs on the altar.
Two groups opposed Antiochus: a nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees. (No direct connection to the modern movement known as Chasidism.) They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Selucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.
According to tradition, as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah (candelabrum) in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days, the time needed to prepare a fresh supply of oil for the menorah. An eight-day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle. The holiday of Hanukkah commemorates the miracle of the oil.
Today, the main dish for any Hanukkah gathering is the potato pancake, or latke.
Latkes are a very symbolic dish for Jews celebrating Hanukkah. Latkes are potato pancakes fried in oil. The oil is a reminder of the miraculous oil that lasted for eight days when the Temple of Jerusalem was rededicated.
For his Chef on a Shoestring main course, Walzog cooked a brisket of veal. Brisket traditionally is made of a cut of beef taken from the breast section under the first five ribs. Brisket is usually sold without the bone and is divided into two sections. The flat cut has minimal fat and is usually more expensive than the more flavorful point cut, which has more fat. Brisket requires long, slow cooking and is best when braised. Corned beef is made from brisket. Chef Walzog chose veal brisket because it's more tender, but he still used the slow cooking method of traditional brisket.
Recipes
Potato Pancakes with Three Creams, Smoked Salmon,
Horseradish and Fresh Herb
Ingredients:
4 Russet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
1 white onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 whole eggs
salt and ground black pepper
Place the grated potatoes in a bowl and squeeze away any excess water. Add the finely chopped white onions, flour and whole eggs. Season the potatoes with salt and black pepper. In a non-stick pan heat the corn oil. When it's hot, make potato pancakes approximately 2-inches in diameter and about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick. Fry on both sides until crisp. Serve warm with the three dipping creams below.
Three creams:
Horseradish Cream
Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
In a mixing bowl, add the ingredients and stir well. Refrigerate before serving.
For the Smoked Salmon Cream
Ingredients:
4 ounces smoked salmon, finely diced
1 stalk celery, peeled and finely diced
1/2 white onion, finely diced
approximately 1/3 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir well. Refrigerate before serving.
Fresh Herb Cream
Ingredients:
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons chives, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir well. Refrigerate before serving.
Veal Brisket with Aromatic Vegetables
Ingredients:
5 pounds veal breast (tell butcher with cap on, this means an extra layer of fat)
6 celery stalks, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch lengths
1 white onion, peeled and cut into eighths
2 fennel bulbs, fronds removed, trimmed and cut into quarters
3 turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
1/2 pounds button mushrooms, washed and sliced
3 heads fresh garlic, split in half
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
42 ounces beef broth
1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons corn oil
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.
Place a heavy-bottom roasting pan over medium to high heat on the stovetop. Season the veal generously with salt and black pepper. Heat the corn oil in the pan and brown the veal brisket evenly. When the veal is browned, add the vegetables around the outside of the veal brisket and continue to cook on the stovetop until the vegetables become lightly cooked, but not browned. Place the split garlic heads on top of the veal brisket to allow them to roast and caramelize in the oven. Next add the beef broth and fresh herbs and place the pan in the pre-heated oven for about 2 hours. Baste the veal with the broth and vegetables throughout the cooking time in the oven. Slice the veal among four plates and serve with the vegetables.
Caramelized Apple Popovers with Assorted Fruit Preserves
Ingredients:
2 puff pastry sheets
6 green apples, peeled and diced into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
2 whole eggs
2 tablespoons water
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Heat a heavy-bottom sauce pot over high heat. Melt the butter and add the diced apples. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, clove and fresh thyme and allow the apples to cook for 8-10 minutes. Stir frequently while the apples are cooking. Remove the apples when they are tender and the apple filling is slightly thickened and place onto a plate. To make the egg wash, break the eggs into a small bowl, add 2 tablespoons of water to the eggs and beat them thoroughly. Set aside.
Cut the puff pastry sheets into 6 equal squares per sheet. Place about 2 tablespoons of the apple mixture into each square. Bring the corners of the dough up over the filling and press to seal. Lightly brush the outside of the popover with the egg wash. Place on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet into the preheated 325 degrees F oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm from the oven.