Cookery

Another delicious recipe from Denise Phillips

For more recipes and inspiration visit my website: www.jewishcookery.com

You never have too many recipes for Cholent. This recipe is sweetened by the addition of the dried fruits of which I have added a selection of peaches, apricots and pears – however you could substitute figs, prunes and dates if they are your preference.

Cholent recipes vary from one country to another and between regions ~this is a delicious French/ German cholent made with lamb and rosemary. The beauty of all cholent is that is a complete hot meal all in one pot. I have kept the skins on the potatoes as this helps to prevent them falling apart.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 18 – 20 hours Serves: 8

Ingredients 200g tinned haricot beans - rinsed 1.8kg shoulder of lamb –cubed 4 garlic cloves – sliced 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 onions – peeled and sliced 570ml red wine 900g potatoes – quartered 4 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves 1 tablespoon sugar 50g raisins 200g mixed dried fruit – apricots, pears or peaches 570ml vegetable stock Salt and freshly ground black pepper Garnish: Sprigs of rosemary

Method 1) Heat the oil in a large casserole dish on the hob.

Add the onions, garlic, and lamb and sauté over a high heat for 5 – 10 minutes or until the meat is brown. 2) Add the wine, potatoes, rosemary, beans, sugar, raisins and dried fruit and pour enough stock to cover all the ingredients. 3) Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 ½ hours. If preferred simmer the cholent ahead of time, cook to this stage and chill until just before Shabbats starts. 4) Pre-heat the oven to its lowest temperature. Cover the casserole dish with foil and then a lid; this helps to keep the heat in and prevents the flavours escaping. Place the dish in the oven and leave to ‘cook’ overnight.

Serve the cholent when you return from the shul! With fresh sprigs of fresh rosemary.

ShabbatUK

BY DENISE PHILLIPS

Next week 13-14 May is ShabbatUK. This was inspired by the International Shabbat Project and then tailored specifically for the UK Jewish community. Its aim is to encourage Shabbat observance through empowering local communities to unify British Jewry on ShabbatUK. Its mission is three-fold - encourage and increase Shabbat engagement and observance, unifying as many British Jews as possible and to empower communities to stage remarkable events at this time.

Cholent, the Shabbat friendly dish is probably one of the most well-known of all Jewish traditional dishes. It is a one pot dish hot meal consisting of various meats, grains and vegetables all cooked together in a very slow oven. Leave in the oven over night and enjoy on your return from shul. The aroma is quite distinctive and will certainly waft its way throughout the house if the kitchen door is left open. If you have never made it… do it for ShabbatUK.

In the shtetlach of Eastern Europe, pots of cholent were cooked in communal baker’s ovens, which were large enough to generate and retain an incredible amount of heat. The families would go after synagogue to collect their pots of cholent and partake of their Sabbath meal. The etymology of cholent translates to hot ‘chaud’ and slow ‘lent’

There are numerous recipes for cholent, but they all contain the following essential, common features, two or more kinds of meat, potatoes, or vegetables or both, grains, liquid of some kind to provide moisture and seasoning. It can even be made vegan or vegetarian! (see www.jewishcookery.com for my vegetarian cholent recipe) • The secret ingredient to my recipe for Cholent is golden syrup, this tends to just soften and sweeten the ingredients in an unassuming way! • Other useful tips include adding plenty water at least double the amount above the line of the stew otherwise it will burn and go dry. • Choose meat that is cut into large pieces and do well with long slow cooking like shin beef, chuck steak, brisket and lamb shoulder. • Vegetables like potatoes and carrots are best cut into large pieces otherwise they just fall apart • Beans, lentils and pulses add extra bulk to the pot - they also absorb liquid so take this into consideration when adding liquid • Flavour well spices like paprika, celery salt, chilli powder, ginger, cumin.

Making cholent is a great experience, there is no ‘RIGHT’ recipe so experiment with your favourite ingredients and spices.