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Lazy Sunday cookery
Jan. 24th, 2010 10:41 amActually, it may not be a lazy Sunday. But I wanted something good for supper and didn't want to spend a lot of time making it. We used to have this dish often, but in recent years had gotten away from it and I decided it was time for a revival.
Cholent is an old traditional sabbath day dinner dish in many Jewish communities. It began with strict orthodox observance of the sabbath, in which one was not permitted to do so much as start a fire or flip a light switch, so everything had to be taken care of before sundown. The cholent is a slow-cooked stew, with many varying recipes, that was assembled in a heavy clay or iron dish and the lid would be sealed in place with bread dough. The dish could then be put into an oven still warm from baking the day's bread and left overnight. It would cook slowly, developing wonderful caramelized flavors, and was served at midday on the sabbath. No cooking activity was required on the holy day, other than lifting the lid and dishing out the stew as if it were manna. Properly prepared, this can be as heavenly as manna, I think.
In many shtetls the cholents were cooked all together in the community baker's oven. Since one could not walk to the baker to get the dish and bring it home, the services of a shabbas goy might be employed. These were usually young non-Jewish boys or men, who could be paid to fetch the meal or start a fire in cold weather. (I agree, this seems rather hypocritical, but it's an interesting historic note just the same.)
Disclaimer: I am not of Jewish descent, so there may be inauthenticities in this recipe. I created my variation by combining what I liked from several cookbooks written by practicing Jews. I have consulted with Jewish coworkers at various times about traditional Jewish cookery, because I'm quite fond of some of it. They have always given my versions their approval. ;D
Baked Cholent
2 or 3 cloves garlic
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1/3 cup vegetable oil
6 cups water
1-1/2 cups dry small lima beans (or lentils)
1/2 cup whole pearl barley
1 28-ounce can stewed or crushed tomatoes
2 large carrots, sliced
1 large parsnip, peeled and diced
2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced (don't peel)
2 medium turnips or 1 rutabaga (Swede), peeled and diced
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1 Tbsp. hot Hungarian paprika
1 Tbsp. sweet Hungarian paprika (get the real imported stuff)
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup rich red wine (burgundy, claret, shiraz, zinfandel, etc.)
1 lb. (pair) smoked turkey sausage (sliced)
OR
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced (vegetarian version)
Other vegetables can be added as desired. Celeriac or parsley root are traditional. Diced celery is also nice. We really like the paprika seasoning, but if you don't, you can use something else. Dill would be good, I think, or lemon thyme and oregano.
Using a large cast iron Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid, sauté garlic and onion in the oil. Add remaining ingredients, stirring gently, and bring to a simmer. Then cover tightly and move the dish to an oven at 275°F. You may wish to open the dish and stir it every couple of hours, even though this was not done in the traditional version. This gives you a chance to add more liquid if it is drying out. Hot water is fine, but vegetable or chicken stock can be used, or more wine for the unrepentant among us. Allow the dish to cook for at least six hours, and up to eight or more. The final consistency is quite thick, and the beans usually disintegrate into the gravy.
Serve with tossed salad, good bread, and a dollop of sour cream. Red wine or dark beer will go well with this, but rich coffee or tea are also good.
The traditional dish usually used meats like goose necks or beef tongue, which are of course Kosher but not so appealing to us today. The turkey sausage is a nice flavor and agrees with nearly everyone but the strict vegetarian. For the latter, I recommend eggplant (aubergine to our Commonwealth friends) and definitely add the sour cream when serving.
Warning: This develops the most tantalizing aroma after the first couple of hours in the oven. By the time it is ready to eat, you will be positively drooling. XD
[EDIT Addendum: I forgot to mention the Kugel. Kugel is a pudding in Jewish cooking, often made of noodles with fruit and eggs or something similar. Sort of like the familiar rice or bread pudding, but with noodles for the starch. Traditional cooks used to make up a kugel, put it into a closed pudding tin, and bury that inside the cholent. Thus the dessert cooked right along with the dinner, and both were ready at the same time. Clever, no?]
Cholent is an old traditional sabbath day dinner dish in many Jewish communities. It began with strict orthodox observance of the sabbath, in which one was not permitted to do so much as start a fire or flip a light switch, so everything had to be taken care of before sundown. The cholent is a slow-cooked stew, with many varying recipes, that was assembled in a heavy clay or iron dish and the lid would be sealed in place with bread dough. The dish could then be put into an oven still warm from baking the day's bread and left overnight. It would cook slowly, developing wonderful caramelized flavors, and was served at midday on the sabbath. No cooking activity was required on the holy day, other than lifting the lid and dishing out the stew as if it were manna. Properly prepared, this can be as heavenly as manna, I think.In many shtetls the cholents were cooked all together in the community baker's oven. Since one could not walk to the baker to get the dish and bring it home, the services of a shabbas goy might be employed. These were usually young non-Jewish boys or men, who could be paid to fetch the meal or start a fire in cold weather. (I agree, this seems rather hypocritical, but it's an interesting historic note just the same.)
Disclaimer: I am not of Jewish descent, so there may be inauthenticities in this recipe. I created my variation by combining what I liked from several cookbooks written by practicing Jews. I have consulted with Jewish coworkers at various times about traditional Jewish cookery, because I'm quite fond of some of it. They have always given my versions their approval. ;D
Baked Cholent
2 or 3 cloves garlic
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1/3 cup vegetable oil
6 cups water
1-1/2 cups dry small lima beans (or lentils)
1/2 cup whole pearl barley
1 28-ounce can stewed or crushed tomatoes
2 large carrots, sliced
1 large parsnip, peeled and diced
2 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced (don't peel)
2 medium turnips or 1 rutabaga (Swede), peeled and diced
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1 Tbsp. hot Hungarian paprika
1 Tbsp. sweet Hungarian paprika (get the real imported stuff)
ground black pepper to taste
1 cup rich red wine (burgundy, claret, shiraz, zinfandel, etc.)
1 lb. (pair) smoked turkey sausage (sliced)
OR
1 large eggplant, peeled and diced (vegetarian version)
Other vegetables can be added as desired. Celeriac or parsley root are traditional. Diced celery is also nice. We really like the paprika seasoning, but if you don't, you can use something else. Dill would be good, I think, or lemon thyme and oregano.
Using a large cast iron Dutch oven with tight-fitting lid, sauté garlic and onion in the oil. Add remaining ingredients, stirring gently, and bring to a simmer. Then cover tightly and move the dish to an oven at 275°F. You may wish to open the dish and stir it every couple of hours, even though this was not done in the traditional version. This gives you a chance to add more liquid if it is drying out. Hot water is fine, but vegetable or chicken stock can be used, or more wine for the unrepentant among us. Allow the dish to cook for at least six hours, and up to eight or more. The final consistency is quite thick, and the beans usually disintegrate into the gravy.
Serve with tossed salad, good bread, and a dollop of sour cream. Red wine or dark beer will go well with this, but rich coffee or tea are also good.
The traditional dish usually used meats like goose necks or beef tongue, which are of course Kosher but not so appealing to us today. The turkey sausage is a nice flavor and agrees with nearly everyone but the strict vegetarian. For the latter, I recommend eggplant (aubergine to our Commonwealth friends) and definitely add the sour cream when serving.
Warning: This develops the most tantalizing aroma after the first couple of hours in the oven. By the time it is ready to eat, you will be positively drooling. XD
[EDIT Addendum: I forgot to mention the Kugel. Kugel is a pudding in Jewish cooking, often made of noodles with fruit and eggs or something similar. Sort of like the familiar rice or bread pudding, but with noodles for the starch. Traditional cooks used to make up a kugel, put it into a closed pudding tin, and bury that inside the cholent. Thus the dessert cooked right along with the dinner, and both were ready at the same time. Clever, no?]
