Second Course
| April 14, 2021
Styling by Renee Muller
Photography by Hudi Greenberger
Liver
This is one of those recipes that I need to tell you, not give as a precise recipe. For every pound of liver, coarsely chopped, sauté 1 extra-large onion or 2 medium onions. The onion gives a ton of flavor, so don’t skimp here! After the onions are deeply golden, add the chopped liver to the heat. Then add 2–3 chopped hard-boiled eggs to the skillet. (I usually like to grate them on a box grater.) Add 2 Tbsp of mayo, a small splash (a scant 2 Tbsp-ish) of very concentrated chicken soup, and generous seasonings of salt and pepper. Delicious, and it’s even better the next day!
Dips and Little Salads
Dips can drain the most time when it comes to Shabbos prep, and they can easily be store bought. I am usually able to extend the dips for two weeks, which defi nitely helps save time week to week. Here are some of our favorites.
PRESERVED LEMONS
I almost always have a batch of pickled lemons in the fridge. I love adding them to techinah or mixing them into my salad, and they last a long time.
CAULIFLOWER SALAD
This is the cauliflower salad I put in the Pesach supplement, which in a nutshell is Israeli salad + cauliflower rice + chopped cilantro. It’s always welcome.
OLIVE DIP
This is the only real constant at our Shabbos table. If I don’t make it, I see my son taking out an immersion blender right before Shabbos to make it himself. I use canned pitted green olives, fresh parsley, a fresh squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add sundried tomatoes or even a squeeze of tomato paste. Sometimes I add a tablespoon of mayo.
EGGPLANT
I only recently got into eggplant, and now it makes frequent appearances, although usually in different forms each time. Here’s one idea: I salt the eggplant and let it sit for a while. Then I roast it with cubed sweet potato, salt, pepper, minced garlic, and a nice drizzle of olive oil. I finish it off with scallions.
LAMB CHUMMUS PLATE
I love making this because everyone loves it, and it’s as easy as sprinkling a few spices. Story time. Ages ago, Michal Frischman told me about this concept/recipe that she makes when she hosts, and I’ve been making it ever since. When I was planning Purim this year, I knew I wanted recipes that come together at the last minute, preferably half homemade, and this dish was the starting point for all the other recipes in that feature. I actually do a simpler version of Michal’s concept. I buy shish kebab lamb from my butcher, but you can buy any lamb that will benefit from low and slow cooking. Do NOT use expensive lamb chops for this recipe! I sprinkle it with salt, pepper, paprika, a drizzle of oil, and I throw a sliced onion and some minced garlic into a 9×13-inch pan. Bake covered on 325˚F (160°C) for about 45 minutes, then uncover, minutes or so.
Salads
We’re big salad people, and there is always a nice salad representation. I also like to have a non-lettuce salad because it can hold its own in the fridge for a day or two. (I always say the only thing I throw out after a Shabbos meal is dressed salad.)
ASIAN SLAW
I got this recipe from a school fundraiser cookbook, and I use it all the time. I’ve changed it up a bit, but it’s still always a hit. One bag coleslaw. Toasted sesame seeds. Toasted slivered almonds. Toasted ramen noodles. Lots of sliced scallions. A segmented clementine or sometimes a can of mandarin oranges. For the dressing: ½ cup sugar, ¼ cup oil, ¼ cup rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, pinch of salt, pepper.
LETTUCE SALAD
I have a bunch of salad rules. Starting from the bottom of the salad bowl up, here are my preferences: • I like to start with some chopped romaine for extra crunch and because it stands up to dressing very well for a long Shabbos meal. • Then I add a bed of some kind of leafy green. Arugula is my green of choice because it adds so much flavor, but I’ll use spinach leaves for this too. Lately, I’ve also been buying rainbow kale because it’s pretty.
- Do your own thing for the vegetable part.
- I like to use leftover chicken or meat from Friday night.
- I like when there’s an allium, and my go-to is scallions.
- Then, finally, the topping, which must be a crunch.
- Last but not least, dressing.
I’m very simple when it comes to dressings; I almost never make one in a blender. My house dressing is oil + vinegar (I have quite the vinegar collection, but I am partial to balsamic) and/or fresh lemon juice + Dijon mustard + salt (be generous) + pepper + garlic + a bit of honey.
(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 738)
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