Photography by Hudi Greenberger
Food and Prop Styling by Shaina Maiman
Food Prep by Leah Hamaoui

THE SOUND OF THE SIZZLE IS BACK! Do you feel like a mad scientist when you stand over boiling oil, waiting impatiently to throw food in the pan? Even if you don’t do this regularly, Chanukah is definitely the time to fry. It doesn’t stop with doughnuts and latkes either. Use your imagination or turn the page for some inspiration. Anything is fry-able if you just believe.

Tip: Deep-fry your doughnuts one at a time in a small pot to avoid wasting so much oil.

—Chaya Surie Goldberger

Beer-Battered Mexican Meatballs with Doctored Salsa

With everything we have deemed worthy of frying over the years, it’s a wonder it took us this long to reach the meatball. The best supper with an added beer-battered crunchy shell? There’s no way it could be anything short of delicious. Really, it’s a no-brainer. And to elevate your game, dip these flavor bombs into a sauce that takes zero effort to create.

SERVES 4-6

• 1 lb (450 g) ground meat
• 1 shallot, diced
• 3 cubes frozen garlic
• 2 cubes frozen parsley
• 2 cubes frozen cilantro
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp chili lime seasoning (if not available, use paprika instead)
• ½ tsp coarse black pepper
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 egg

Beer Batter

• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup light beer

Doctored Salsa

• ½ cup salsa of choice
• ¼ cup teriyaki sauce
• 2 Tbsp honey

Mix all the meat mixture ingredients together until everything is combined. Roll the meatballs, using a heaping tablespoon of meat for each ball.

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder in a bowl. Add the beer and mix well. Drop the meatballs gently into the batter. Using a fork, cover the meatballs completely with batter.

Heat a pot with enough oil to basically cover the meatballs. Using a fork, remove each meatball from the batter, allowing excess batter to drip off. Place meatballs into the oil and cook for 3 minutes until cooked through.

Prepare the salsa: Mix all the ingredients together in a pot and cook until heated through and cohesive. Alternatively, place it all in an aluminum pan and put it in the oven on 350°F (175°C) for a few minutes to warm through.

Note: If the oil is bubbling violently, lower the heat all the way to prevent the batter from burning before the meat gets cooked.

Mushroom Nuggets with Balsamic Glaze Drizzle

These mushrooms are the quintessential party food. Fresh, Italian flavors in the most adorable size with a sharp and vibrant glaze to finish it off. There’s no need to pick latkes straight from the fryer anymore, because these are just so much easier to steal!

SERVES 4

• 3 8-oz (225-g) boxes white button mushrooms, sliced into thick slices
• oil, for frying
• 1 cup panko crumbs
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp salt

Batter

• ½ cup flour
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp coarse black pepper
• ¾ cup water

Balsamic Glaze

• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp mustard

Prepare the batter: mix the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic, salt, and pepper together in a bowl. Add the water and mix to form a batter. Coat the mushroom slices with the batter. Use a gloved hand to make sure they’re well-coated.

Heat about 2 inches (5 cm) of oil in a pan.

Meanwhile, combine panko crumbs, oregano, parsley, garlic, and salt in a bowl. Dip each mushroom into the panko mixture.

Once the oil is hot and bubbling, place the mushrooms in the pot and adjust the fire to medium-low heat. Fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel to drain.

Alternatively, set the oven to convection bake at 400–425°F (200–220°C). Spray the bottom of a pan with cooking spray. Place the mushrooms into the pan and spray with more oil. Bake for 20–25 minutes.

Prepare the glaze: Pour all the ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 10–15 minutes or until it reduces to half its size. It should coat the back of a spoon.

To serve, drizzle the mushrooms with balsamic glaze and enjoy!

Note: Don’t worry if you don’t have time to make the glaze. You can buy ready-made balsamic glaze instead.

Maple Beef-Fry Bread

When planning your Chanukah dinner menu, fried food comes to mind. While we usually fry the main course or dessert, why don’t you try a fried dough for an appetizer? This recipe takes Chanukah frying to a whole new level. Your guests will definitely be asking for seconds.

YIELDS 10 BREADS

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 6-oz (170-g) pkg beef fry,
  finely diced
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ cup water

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the beef fry and sauté until slightly crispy. Add the maple syrup and sauté for another 2 minutes, mixing constantly to avoid burning or overcooking the beef fry.

Remove the beef fry and fat bits from the pan with a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl to cool. Don’t discard the oil and drippings.

Place flour, baking powder, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl. Add the water and beef fry and mix until it forms a soft, slightly sticky dough. Allow dough to sit for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 10 equal parts, each about the size of a golf ball, and roll it with a rolling pin. It should be about 4 inches (10 cm) in diameter.

Add oil to the same pan to equal 1½ inches (4 cm) of oil and heat. Drop the pieces of dough into the pan and fry until lightly golden, about 1–2 minutes per side.

Tip: For a perfect appetizer, top the breads with roasted fennel, some salad greens, candied maple beef-fry strips, and maple aioli. You can also add several slices of your favorite steak.

Note: These breads are best served fresh and can’t be frozen. However, you can make the dough a day in advance, refrigerate it, and then allow it to come to room temperature when you’re ready to fry it.

PB&J Sandwich Doughnut

Our family has a tradition where every night of Chanukah we either hunt for a new type or flavor of doughnut or we create one. My kids’ favorite flavor is peanut butter and jelly, but we couldn’t find PB&J doughnuts anywhere…so I created this easy and delicious PB&J doughnut recipe! I hope your family will enjoy it as much as mine did.

YIELDS 8 DOUGHNUTS

• 16 slices La Briosh Crustless White Bread
• 8 tsp peanut butter, divided
• 16 tsp strawberry jam, divided (I use Tuscanini)

Batter

• 2 eggs
• 1⅓ cups pareve milk (plus more as necessary)
• 5 Tbsp sugar
• 2⅔ cups flour
• 1¼ tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp peanut butter, melted
• oil, for frying
• ½ cup confectioners’ sugar,
  for garnish
• 4 tsp warm strawberry jam,
  for garnish

Cut all slices of bread with a round cookie cutter that’s approximately the size of the bread.

Put 1 tsp peanut butter and 2 tsp jam in the middle of one circular slice of bread, top with another slice, and pinch them together with a fork or your fingers, making sure the sandwiches are tightly closed. Repeat with the rest of the bread. Place all sandwiches on a Palisades Parchment paper-lined baking sheet and freeze for a half hour.

Mix all the batter ingredients together in a bowl. This is supposed to be a thick batter, but if it’s too thick, add a drop more pareve milk.

Add the oil to a small saucepan or pot (see intro tip). Dip each PB&J sandwich into the batter and drop it into the hot oil. Fry for about 2 minutes per side, until they’re golden brown.

When done, dust with confectioners’ sugar and drizzle with strawberry jam.

For best results, serve immediately.

Note: The sandwiches can be made a few days in advance. Keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to batter and fry them. Allow them to defrost for about 5 minutes before using.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 871)