Passover dinner was wonderful. The food turned out to be something for me to be proud of. That is saying a lot when I am cooking for a Mother and an Aunt who have made all of my holiday meals together for a lifetime. The Seder was great...slightly over the 30 minutes advertised, but perfect for new comers. The brisket was fork tender and so yummy. And according to my Uncle Dennis and Aunt Cheryl my matzo ball soup was better than the Carnegie Deli in New York. I will take that compliment!
Annie was a champ and loved her matzo. It was a day full of hard work, non stop prep, and running all around town, but in the end, it was a wonderful memory I will cherish always. Just look at my table full of family. And that includes Lori and Phil. Family.
And the last bonus? Phil brought some pretty awesome prizes for the Afikomen! We were all stoked.
Some pictures below. Im a exhausted. Our new bed frame comes tomorrow, which we all know I will blog ;-) but after that you wont hear from me until next weekend. I hope you all have a wonderful Passover!
Much love,
The Hellers
This is a large large amount of meat. Adam and I were laughing because it was reminiscent of an incident we had with Dennis and Cheryl in Costa Rica.
But it cooked up beautifully...
Mom went to work on the potatoes. I think she looks good as my sous chef...what do you think?
Cooking along beautifully. This is my brisket recipe I made at my first Seder. Recipe is below.
I could puke just looking at this fish. I mean seriously that poor bubble is just stuck in that gel desperately trying to overcome gravity.
It tasted just like Gefilte fish should. Gross!
All of our individual Seder plates ready to go!
The main Seder plate being used for the first time.
Annie in her Passover Dress Grammy and Grumps brought her.
You are supposed to relax and recline on Passover you know.
My Seder table with my family, husband and child.
We even reused our wedding yarmulkes!
We had Haggadahs printed for everyone. We actually all sang songs together. I love it. Well.. after completing four glasses of wine, I love it.
Our meal...
Our dessert...
The empty table after....
Brisket:
1. Season the brisket evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, bring the wine to a boil and continue boiling until it reduces to half its original volume, 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Evenly sprinkle the brisket all over with flour (OMIT THIS STEP FOR PASSOVER), shaking off excess. Heat a heavy Dutch oven over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When it is almost smoking, turn the heat to medium-high, carefully add the brisket, and sear until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a platter. Pour off the fat from the Dutch oven and add another 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic, shallots, carrots, celery, and leek, and sauté until glossy and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add half of the apricots and all the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and tomato paste, and continue to cook 1 minute more.
3. Return the browned brisket to the Dutch oven and add the reduced wine and 2 quarts stock or broth. If the brisket is not completely covered with liquid, add enough extra stock, broth, or water to cover. Bring the liquid to a simmer. Cover the pot and carefully place it in the oven. Cook until the brisket is fork-tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Meanwhile, blanch and peel the onions as instructed in the tips (see below), leaving them whole. Cut the remaining apricots into 1/4-inch strips.
4. In a small sauté pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat and sauté the pearl onions until lightly golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the apricot strips and pour in the remaining 1/4 cup stock or broth, stirring and scraping with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes. Cover and keep warm.
5. When the meat is done, carefully transfer it to a heated platter, cover with aluminum foil, and keep warm. Boil the liquid in the Dutch oven until it thickens and reduces to about 1 quart, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour it through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary with more salt and pepper.
6. To serve, use a sharp knife to cut the brisket across the grain into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange the slices on heated serving plates or on a heated platter, spoon half the sauce over it, and garnish with the pearl onions and apricots. Sprinkle with minced parsley and pass the remaining sauce on the side.
Wolfgang's Easy Tips: ·If you can't find a 5-pound brisket at your supermarket, cook 2 smaller pieces.
·While the meat braises, keep the heat gentle since boiling tightens rather than relaxes the meat's fibers. Check the liquid in the cooking vessel and if it's bubbling more than slightly, turn down the heat. The results should be so tender that you can pull the meat apart with a fork.
·To prepare the pearl onions, bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the pearl onions and blanch them for 30 seconds. Drain and immediately immerse them in a bowl of ice and water. Cut the very ends off at the stem ends, peel the onions, and leave them whole.
· For neater slices, you could let the brisket cool before cutting it across the grain. Reheat the slices in the sauce. That makes brisket an ideal dish to prepare ahead. Just cook and slice it the day before, and reheat it in the oven in its sauce for about half an hour at 300°F before serving.
***275 for 4 hours +250 for the 5th hour
Shopping List:
Fresh Produce
celery stalks 2
cloves garlic 10
fresh flat-leaf parsley 6
fresh thyme 2
large shallots 6
medium carrots 2
medium leek 1
parsley
pearl onions 1 cup
Meat/Poultry
beef brisket 5 pounds
Baking/Nuts/Spices
all-purpose flour
bay leaves 2
dried apricots 1 cup
freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon
kosher salt 2 tablespoons
Oils and Vinegars
vegetable oil 6 tablespoons
Wine
red wine 1 bottle
Canned/Jarred/Tinned Items
homemade beef stock or good-quality canned beef broth 8 1/4 cups
tomato paste 2 tablespoons
