Lazy Sunday cookery
Jan. 24th, 2010 10:41 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
altivoActually, 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?]
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no subject
Date: 2010-01-24 05:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-24 05:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-24 05:59 pm (UTC)Seantic note: it's aubergine in England, but eggplant in Australia (and brinjal in most of India, and who knows what elsewhere).
no subject
Date: 2010-01-24 06:18 pm (UTC)The vegetarian version uses a large purple eggplant instead, and is also very delicious, but lacks that smoky flavor. I believe it is possible to get smoked paprika or smoked pepper flakes to season with, but I've not tried those.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-24 06:19 pm (UTC)Mine has been in for two hours now and the fragrance is just starting. I think I'd better go do some work outdoors for a while...
no subject
Date: 2010-01-24 06:23 pm (UTC)You can also use hard squash or pumpkin in this. Just seed, peel, and chunk it up. There's plenty of balanced protein from the beans and barley, so meat is just a traditional flavoring and in no way essential to the dish.
I think I haven't made it for several years because my Dutch oven was hidden out in the barn. I had to scrub the heck out of it. ;p
no subject
Date: 2010-01-24 06:27 pm (UTC)You can also make this in a slow cooker, like a Rival or a Nesco. Same recipe, a little longer time, which might be great if you want it to cook while you're at work. If it seems too watery when you get home, pop it into a baking dish and bake for an hour at a low temperature, uncovered if necessary but watching to make sure it doesn't dry out. Properly it's a very thick stew but you want to eat it with a spoon, not a fork.
Great way to use winter root vegetables. Just about any you have can be added.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-24 06:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-24 06:47 pm (UTC)One Jewish cook assured me years ago that the crock pot will work, and that you could even use a pressure cooker if you were in a hurry but it would come out soupy.
If you try the crock pot, let us know how it turns out. You might want to presoak the beans and barley in that case. I'd expect you will need a bit longer cooking time too, at least 8 hours.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-25 02:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-25 02:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-25 02:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-25 02:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-27 04:53 am (UTC)I love the toss in oven and forget idea!
I imagine this wouldnt work so hot in todays modern ovens that cool off nearly instantly.( at least turning it off to cook it :p
no subject
Date: 2010-01-27 10:34 am (UTC)You can use a crock pot type cooker for this too, but if you try that you'll want to soak the beans and barley overnight before starting it and set the heat on the higher setting.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-28 07:47 am (UTC)I thought a Kugel was something you hit someone with :)
no subject
Date: 2010-01-29 04:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-29 04:45 am (UTC)