PLANNING FOR HOLIDAY MEALS

 

Roast chicken with fruit stuffing, a festive dish for a holiday meal.

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, begins at sundown on Monday, September 22—coincidentally the first day of autumn. Those of you who observe the holiday have probably long since planned a special menu and, likely, have even begun the cooking. This is the first of fall/winter holidays, from Rosh Hashana to All Saints/All Souls (Halloween), Thanksgiving to Christmas, Hanukkah to New Year’s, with many occasions to gather friends and family for festive dining.

To help you plan holiday meals, have a look at my new cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. A section of Menu Suggestions at the back of the book shows you how to use the recipes in your life. 

Here are the menu ideas for an Autumn/Winter Holiday Meal--appetizers, starters, mains, desserts, cookies, and confections. Recipes for all of the dishes listed can be found in Flavors of al-Andalus. (The recipe for Roast Chicken with Fruit Stuffing follows.)

Chicken and Liver Pâté (Morteruelo) accompanied with toasts

Winter Gazpacho with Oranges (Gazpacho de Invierno)

Savory Almond Soup (Sopa de Almendras)

Hake in Saffron Sauce (Merluza al Azafrán)

Roast Chicken with Fruit Stuffing (Pollo Relleno con Frutas) 

Cauliflower (or cardoons) in Almond Sauce (Coliflor en Salsa de Almendras)

Pumpkin Pudding (Arnadí)

Crumbly Olive Oil Cookies (Mantecados de Aceite)

Fig Pâté (Pan de Higos)

Honey-Almond Logs (Alfajores)

The roast chicken is a gorgeous dish for any holiday, but it is especially appropriate for Rosh Hashana because its roots are in Spain’s Sephardic Jewish cooking.

Quite a few of the recipes in Flavors of al-Andalus have come down to us from the community of Sephardic Jews. Sepharad was the name that the Jews gave to the Iberian peninsula, where, for more than 13 centuries, Jews lived alongside Romans, Visigoths, Muslims and Christians in communities throughout the country. The Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 by the same Catholic monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, who, having defeated the last of the Moors in the kingdom of Granada, funded Columbus’s scheme to sail west to look for the Spice Islands.

(Note: The recipes in Flavors of al-Andalus with their roots in Islamic Spain are not kosher nor halal. However, they are easily adapted to respect those dietary laws. For instance, Jews can substitute chicken in recipes for rabbit; Muslims can substitute fruit juice for wine. None of the recipes calls for pork, ham or chorizo.)

Roast Chicken with Fruit Stuffing

Pollo Relleno con Frutas

Chicken stuffing is a mixture of dried fruits, apples, and breadcrumbs with Sherry.

(Excerpted from Flavors of al-Andalus, The Culinary Legacy of Spain)

A recipe for “a Jewish dish of chicken with stuffing” appears in an anonymous Arabic manuscript from the 13th century. It calls for the chicken liver and gizzard to be ground up with almonds, pine nuts, fennel, cilantro, spices and beaten eggs. Once the chicken is done and the stuffing set, the recipe instructs the cook to “ladle it out and put the stuffing around it, garnish with cut rue and fennel, eyes of mint, and toasted almonds, and present it, God willing.”

Fast-forward to the 21st century, and we find a recipe from Catalonia (the eastern Mediterranean region where Barcelona is located) for roast, stuffed chicken or turkey that is prepared for the Christmas feast. It is stuffed with pork sausage meat, nuts and dried fruits. The origin of the recipe may well be medieval Jewish, when it would have been made with a forcemeat of minced chicken or veal instead of pork. It is a very festive dish.

A medium-dry Sherry such as amontillado or oloroso seco flavors the stuffing and the pan juices. If not available, use any white wine. Use any combination of dried fruits. Truffles are an optional, luxurious, addition to the stuffing mixture. Small onions, carrots, and turnips can be added to the roasting pan, if desired.

The stuffing can also be used for small birds such as squab, Cornish game hens or for turkey (although turkey is not included in recipes in Flavors of al-Andalus because it is a fowl from the New World, unknown in Moorish Spain).

Serves 8.

1 roasting chicken or capon (5 to 6 pounds)

1 teaspoon salt + more for sprinkling

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon + ½ cup medium-dry Sherry

1 cup chopped dried fruits (raisins, apricots, prunes, figs)

¼ cup hot water

8 ounces ground chicken or veal

3 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup pine nuts

½ cup chopped onions

1 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1 cup diced apple

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of cloves

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons chopped parsley

Pinch dried thyme

Truffles, diced (optional)

1 tablespoon capers 

Small onions, carrots, turnips (optional)

½ to 1 cup chicken stock

Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Rub the cavity with 1 tablespoon of the Sherry. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 450ºF.

Soak the dried fruits in hot water for 10 minutes to soften them. 

Combine the ground chicken in a large bowl with the dried fruits and their soaking water. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet and toast the pine nuts until golden. Skim them out and add to the bowl with the ground chicken. Add the onion to the skillet and sauté until softened, 3 minutes. Add the onion to the bowl along with the breadcrumbs, apple, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, parsley, thyme, truffles if using, capers, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Combine well.

Stuff the chicken with the mixture. Skewer the neck and body openings closed and truss the chicken with kitchen twine. Place in a heavy roasting pan or in a large ovenproof skillet. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. (Add vegetables to the roasting pan, if desired.)

Place the pan in the oven and turn the oven temperature down to 350ºF. Roast the chicken for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ½ cup Sherry and ½ cup stock to the pan. Spoon some of the juices over the chicken. Roast for 30 minutes more, basting occasionally. Add up to ½ cup additional stock if the pan looks dry. Roast 1 hour more or until internal temperature of the stuffing reaches 160ºF when tested with an instant-read thermometer.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow to rest 20 minutes. Carve the chicken and scoop the stuffing into a serving bowl. Skim the fat from the remaining pan juices. Spoon some of the juices over the chicken and serve the rest in a bowl.

***   ***   ***

More recipes for Rosh Hashana:

Stuffed Chickens Roasted in a Clay Pot (from Sabores de Sefarad by Javier Zafra).

Chicken Braised in Spiced Grape Juice

Chicken Marbella (my version)

Black-Eyed Peas for the New Year

Apple Cake with Honey-Wine Syrup

***   ***   ***

***Anyada buena, dulce i alegre.*** Feliz año nuevo.***Happy New Year.***

***   ***   ***

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS 

The Culinary Legacy of Spain

has menus and recipes for Tapas Party, Brunch, Summer Barbecue, Family Dinners (one vegetarian), Sunday Lunch, Dinner Party, Spring Holiday Meal, and Autumn/Winter Holiday Meal. From your favorite bookseller or click below to order. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS by Janet Mendel is the #1 New Release in Spanish Cooking on Amazon!

Order on amazon.es

***   ***   ***

SUMMER'S END: BLUES + RED (AS IN TOMATOES)

 

Chunks of bacoreta (a blue fish related to tuna) cooked in fresh tomato sauce. 

At the beginning of summer, I wrote about the “summertime blues,” the wonderful tuna and other blue fish that are abundant in this season. I’m adding red—red as in fabulous ripe tomatoes—to finish the summer. 

This recipe for tuna with tomatoes is traditional in Andalusia, especially in the provinces of Huelva and Cádiz where bluefin tuna is taken. In its original version, the lesser cuts of the big fish would be cut into chunks and braised slowly with not much more than olive oil and cut-up tomatoes. Nowadays, the dish is usually prepared with choice pieces from the loin, briefly browned in oil then finished in tomato sauce to cook only for three or four minutes. Cooked in this manner, the fish stays juicy and moist. 

I bought a blue fish related to tuna that my local vendor called “alvacora,” but which I think is actually bacoreta or "little tunny" (Euthynnus alletteratus). Bacoreta is a popular game fish but, as I learned only after I had bought and cooked it, is not much appreciated as a food fish! I can assure you that cooked in this fresh tomato sauce, it was absolutely delicious. Use any of the tunas or tuna-adjacent blues (bonito del norte/albacore tuna; melva/frigate mackerel; listado/skipjack tuna, or bonito/bonito) for this recipe.  Traditionally, the fish is soaked in cold water to lighten the color of the flesh. It’s ok to skip this step. 

Tuna with tomato is usually served with patatas fritas, olive-oil fries. The following day, I cut up the remaining chunks of fish, reheated them in the sauce, and served it with elbow macaroni. 

Chunks of tuna are first quickly browned, then added to the sauce to finish cooking.

Atún con Tomate is usually served with "Spanish fries," potatoes fried in olive oil. The dish is also good with rice or pasta for soaking up the delicious fresh tomato sauce.

Once cooked, the flesh of the little tunny is no longer bloody-red.

Tuna with Tomato

Atún con Tomate

Use a mini food processor to finely chop the onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Alternatively, chop the ingredients coarsely and, after cooking, blend to a fairly smooth sauce.

Raw bacoreta is very red.

Serves 4.

1 ½ pounds boneless tuna

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Flour or cornstarch for dusting fish

¼ cup + 1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ cups finely chopped onion

½ cup finely chopped green pepper

3 cloves chopped garlic

2 ½ cups peeled and chopped tomatoes (3 large, about 1 ½ pounds)

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Bay leaf

¼ cup chopped parsley

2-3 chopped mint leaves (optional)

Cut away all skin from the fish. Cut the fish into 1 ½-inch chunks. Place them in a bowl and cover with ice water. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. 

Tomatoes ready to peel.

Easy way to peel tomatoes: Cut an X on the bottoms of the tomatoes, place them stem-side up on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on High for 2 minutes. Carefully turn the tomatoes stems down and microwave until the skin easily pulls away from the flesh, 1 to 2 minutes more. When cool enough to handle, slip off the skins and cut out the cores. 

To prepare the tomato sauce: Heat ¼ cup of oil on medium-high in a large pan. Sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic until softened and beginning to color, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, cumin, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and reduce heat so the tomatoes bubble gently. Partially cover the pan and cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Tuna is browned, then added to sauce.

Drain the tuna well and pat the pieces dry with paper towels. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and dust them lightly with flour or cornstarch.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil on medium-high in a non-stick skillet and brown the pieces of tuna about 30 seconds on all sides. The tuna does not have to cook through. Remove.

Shortly before serving, with the tomato sauce bubbling gently, add the chunks of tuna and cook them, covered, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to stand 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and mint, if using. 

More recipes for the blues:

Cantabrian Fishermen's Stew (Sorropotún)

Grilled Tuna with Red Wine Sauce.

Basque Albacore and Potato Stew (Marmitako).

Bonito with Olive Sauce.

Mackerel with Vegetable Pisto

***   ***   ***

My new cookbook,

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, published by Hippocrene Books, is available from your favorite bookseller. For more about what’s in the book, see Meatballs with Backstory. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon

Order on amazon.es

***   ***   ***

LOOK, MA, NO TEARS!

 

No-cry onions are flavorful, good for stuffing.

Are they mutants? I’ve got onions from the garden so mild that chopping them doesn’t bring tears to my eyes. I don’t know whether this bonus trait is due to the variety of onion or if, perhaps, it’s because the crop was allowed to “mature” in the earth a month instead of being dug up while their tops were still green.

If you are not blessed with tear-free onions, here are several ways to avoid tears when peeling and chopping them  (none of which are very successful): chill the onions in the freezer 10 minutes before chopping; peel them submerged in a bowl of water; cook unpeeled onions in boiling water 10 minutes; wear swimming goggles to protect the eyes. Our onion crop did not flower and produce seeds, so their extraordinary qualities are not retrievable. 

No tears!

In any case, I am celebrating onions with this recipe from Asturias for stuffed onions. In Asturias, the principality/province on the northern Cantabrian coast of Spain, the dish is made with bonito de norte, albacore tuna, that is fished in local waters. Albacore, also called “light tuna,” is best but any canned tuna or salmon can be used. 

Onions stuffed with tuna are braised in tomato-wine sauce. 

Serve the stuffed onions with bread for sopping the delicious sauce. 

Stuffed Onions, Asturian Style

Cebollas Rellenas al Estilo de Asturias

Use any variety of onion but try to choose those of similar size. (I had only four medium onions, so I used the remaining stuffing mixture for a red bell pepper.)

Prepared tomato sauce goes into both the stuffing and sauce. Make homemade sauce, if desired, or open a can of store-bought tomate frito.

If you use a large roasted bell pepper, one pepper, divided in half, is sufficient for the stuffing and the sauce. If using small piquillos, use 2 for the stuffing and 2 more for the sauce. 

An earthenware cazuela is perfect for slow-cooking the onions on the stovetop. However, clay cooking vessels can’t be used on induction hobs. Choose a pan with lid that is small enough to hold the onions upright.

Serves 6 as a starter.

Albacore tuna from a jar.

6 medium onions (about 5 ounces each) 

10 ounces canned tuna in olive oil (1 cup drained)

1 hard-cooked egg, chopped

Flame-roasted red peppers, such as piquillos, chopped

6 tablespoons prepared tomato sauce

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon pimentón (paprika)

1 cup white wine or dry cider

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

Scoop out onions.

Remove dry outer skins from the onions. Cut enough off the root ends so the onions sit upright. Cut a thin slice off the tops and reserve the tops. Use a melon baller or pointy spoon to scoop out the inner layers of the onions, leaving 1 or 2 outer layers to form a shell. Reserve all the scooped pieces. Place the onion shells on a microwave-safe plate and microwave them on High for 2 minutes.

For the stuffing: Drain the tuna, place it in a bowl, and break it up with a fork. Add the egg, half the chopped peppers, and 3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the stuffing mixture between the 6 hollowed onions. Cover them with the reserved tops.

Place 1 tablespoon of oil in the bottom of a pan of a size to hold the onions snugly. Set the stuffed onions in the pan.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil on medium in a skillet. Add the pieces of onion that were scooped out of the onions and sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and remaining chopped peppers. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons of the tomato sauce and the wine or cider. Cook 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.

Pan with stuffed onions and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the onions in the pan. Add the water, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover the pan and cook until onions are very tender when tested with a fork, about 90 minutes. Baste the tops occasionally with the sauce.

Serve the onions and sauce hot or room temperature.

More onions:

Onions Stuffed with Chorizo.

Onion Confit--Worth Crying For

***   ***   ***

The video shows several recipes from 

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS--The Culinary Legacy of Spain.

                                                                                       Video by Daniel Searl

My new cookbook,

FLAVORS OF AL-ANDALUS, The Culinary Legacy of Spain, published by Hippocrene Books, is available from your favorite bookseller. For more about what’s in the book, see Meatballs with Backstory. 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times. Dishes from this era include exotic spices such as saffron, the use of fruits and almonds with savory dishes, and honeyed sweets and pastries. The flavors of al-Andalus live on in modern Spanish cooking and are what makes Spain’s cuisine distinctive from the rest of Europe. (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon

Order on amazon.es

***   ***   ***