IN KEEPING WITH THE TRADITIONAL MEDITERRANEAN DIET followed by every-one who lived in the region, meat as a main course appeared on Jewish tables only at special-occasion meals, such as the Sabbath, holidays, and family celebrations. Thus, most of the recipes in this chapter were not everyday fare. But because meat was not part of the daily regimen, the recipes for celebratory family favorites were often written down, so that no crucial ingredient would be forgotten.

As described in the introduction, only animals that chew their cud and have cloven hooves can be consumed. That means that pork, rabbit, horse, and game are forbidden. The slaughtering of any animal must always be carried out according to Jewish rituals that prescribe careful bleeding and then, to remove all traces of blood, the meat is soaked in cold water for an hour, sprinkled with kosher salt, left to stand for another hour, and then rinsed three times before cooking. Not surprisingly, these steps tend to dry out the meat, so fattier cuts are generally preferred. Liver can escape this purging if it is broiled or flame-seared.

Following the Jewish tradition of thrift, bits and pieces of cooked meat were used to flavor many different kinds of dishes, such as soups, pastas, and some vegetable stews. A vast assortment of recipes for ground beef and lamb also exists. But hearty braises predominated for Sabbath meals. Because lighting a fire or working on the Sabbath was forbidden, housewives would put a one-pot braise or stew in a very low oven or in the oven of a local baker before sundown on Friday and keep it there until the next day, ensuring a hearty meal in a bowl for Saturday lunch.

Every country seems to have a signature long-simmered one-pot dish of meats and vegetables that is eaten in a big bowl at one time or is enjoyed in courses, with the meats and vegetables following the broth or soup. In Ashkenazi Jewish cooking, it is called cholent, probably coming from the Spanish escallento, which means “to keep warm.” In France, it is cassoulet. For the Sephardim, it can be a hamin (the word for “oven”), or, for the Maghrebi and Judeo-Arabic cultures, adafina or d’fina.

The Spanish and Portuguese cocido is based on the Moroccan adafina, a dish of beans, meat, and sometimes eggs assembled in a heavy pot and put in a low oven to simmer all night for the Sabbath meal. Sopa de avikas, or white beans with beef, is the classic. The importance of cocido and beans in the Sephardic kitchen is revealed in the Spanish word judía, which means both “bean” and “Jewess.” In Spain, the cocido was eventually used by the Inquisition as a litmus test of faith for conversos. Confronted with a cocido prepared with lard or pork, true conversos would eat it, but those who refused revealed their continued adherence to the Jewish faith.

BEEF AND VEAL

The Sabbath One-Pot StewD’FINA

The North African d’fina is a typical Sabbath stew. Joëlle Bahloul, in her wonderful book The Architecture of Memory, tells of Jewish life in Algeria. Of d’fina she says, “It is described as the materialization of the slow pace of Sabbath time. Its flavor and thick consistency are presented as the gustatory representation of Sabbath time in abeyance.”

The name comes from the Arabic dfi’ne, which means “buried”; in this case, the cooking pot was buried in the fireplace ashes. Eggs in their shells are also buried in the stew, much like hamin eggs (page 93) and resulting in the same creamy texture. D’fina can be served at Passover, as well. In that case, the chickpeas can be replaced with fresh favas or peas, which are just coming into season. And for breaking the fast at Yom Kippur, the d’fina is made with chicken, usually stuffed with a meat mixture sweetened with cinnamon and almonds.

In Morocco, this dish is usually called dafina or adafina, but it becomes a skhina (which means “hot”) when dates, sweet potatoes, roasted barley or rice, and sometimes a meat loaf seasoned with sweet spices are added to the pot and cooked along with the basic stew of meat, chickpeas, potatoes, and eggs (see variation). Leftovers are eaten at room temperature. On a visit to Morocco, I was invited to a reception given by the American consul. He and his wife, both of them Jewish, served a Moroccan Jewish banquet. The skhina with barley was the star.SERVES 8

---

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large yellow onions, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

3 to 4 pounds well-marbled stewing beef, such as boneless short ribs, chuck, or brisket, cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces

6 to 8 boiling potatoes, peeled and then halved if large

1½ cups dried chickpeas, picked over, soaked in water to cover overnight in the refrigerator, drained, and rinsed

8 eggs in the shell

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground allspice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Water or beef broth, to cover

---

Preheat the oven to 225° to 250°F, or to 300°F for quicker cooking.

Warm the oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until pale gold, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the garlic, beef, potatoes, chickpeas, eggs, ginger, and allspice and season with salt and pepper. Pour in water to cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, cover, and place in the 225° to 250°F oven for 8 hours or in the 300°F oven for 4 to 5 hours. When the stew is ready, the meat, chickpeas, and potatoes will all be tender. (You can also simmer the stew over very low heat on the stove top or in a slow cooker.)

Just before serving, remove the eggs from the stew, peel them, and return them to the stew. Serve hot.

VARIATION:

Moroccan Skhina: Add 12 pitted dates or dried apricots to the stew when you add the liquid, then assemble the following cheesecloth packets and place them among the meat and chickpeas:

For the sweet potatoes, peel 1 pound sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks, and rub with a paste of ½ cup ground almonds, 3 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves, and 1 egg, beaten. Wrap in cheesecloth and tie securely.

For the barley, cracked wheat, freekeh, or rice, rinse 2 cups of the grain, then mix with 6 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and ⅓ cup olive oil. Wrap in cheesecloth and tie securely.

For the meat loaf, combine 12 ounces ground beef (not lean), ½ cup fresh bread crumbs, ½ teaspoon ground mace or freshly grated nutmeg, ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and 2 eggs, lightly beaten. Mix well, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and form into a long loaf. Wrap in cheesecloth and tie the ends securely.

Cook as directed. One hour before serving, uncover the pot so that the stew can take on some color. To serve, unwrap the sweet potatoes, grain, and meat loaf and serve along with the stew.

Sephardic Meat and Bean StewLA LOUBIA

In his book The Cross and the Pear Tree, Victor Perera reminisces about a Sabbath dinner cooked by his mother: “Mother had made her traditional hamin, eggs and a shank of beef, all cooked with white beans. The pleasant cooking smells would waft all over the house. . . . After the meal we would all sing the lovely and unusual Sabbath melodies in Spanish.”

Called avikas in Salonika, this classic Sabbath dish resembles the Spanish cocido and the French cassoulet because of its mix of meat and sausage with beans. An Algerian version uses only veal shanks, a whole head of garlic, sometimes with tomatoes, sometimes not, and sweet paprika. In the Algerian city of Constantine, cooks add a meat loaf mixture called coclo. The Syrian and Egyptian versions, called lubiya, use black-eyed peas or white beans. I added the orange zest, rather than sugar, to sweeten the tomato element. If you like, you can cook the stew in a 300°F oven for the same amount of time.SERVES 4

---

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, smashed

2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 1 cup; canned tomatoes are acceptable)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 rounded cup dried white beans, picked over, soaked in water to cover overnight, drained, and rinsed

1½ pounds well-marbled stewing beef, such as boneless short ribs, chuck, or brisket, cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces

2 small veal shanks, halved crosswise

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup tomato purée

Grated zest of 1 orange

2 teaspoons ground toasted cumin seeds

1 teaspoon ground allspice, for a Syrian version (optional)

2 beef or chicken sausages, about 8 ounces total, cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks (optional)

---

Warm the oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for a few minutes, and then add the tomatoes and parsley and mix well. Add the beans, stir to mix, and arrange the beef pieces and veal shanks on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add just enough water to cover. Cover and cook over low heat until the meat is nearly tender, 1½ to 2 hours.

Add the tomato purée, orange zest, cumin, and allspice, mix well, and then add the sausages. Simmer, uncovered, until all of the fat rises to the surface, about 30 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Tunisian Bean and Beef Stew with Spinach EssenceT’FINA PKAILA

In Tunisia, t’fina pkaila, also known as t’fina d’épinards, is served during Rosh Hashanah. This recipe is based on one served at the home of Daisy Taieb, author of Les fêtes juives à Tunis racontées à mes filles. After the meat has cooked for an hour, some families add osbane, a spicy meat loaf stuffed in an intestine like the Ashkenazi kishka. Others add a meat loaf in the manner of the skhina (see variation, page 297). The Taieb family serves this stew with homemade semolina bread rather than couscous or rice. In Claudia Roden’s versions of this recipe, she wilts the spinach in oil; other cooks wilt it dry and cook it down without oil.SERVES 6

---

2½ pounds spinach, stemmed

1 bunch fresh cilantro

1 rounded cup dried white beans, picked over, soaked in water to cover overnight, drained, and rinsed

2 small veal shanks, halved crosswise

1½ pounds well-marbled stewing beef, such as boneless short ribs, chuck, or brisket, cut into 2-inch pieces

4 to 6 cloves garlic

1 yellow onion, minced

1 cinnamon stick

1 teaspoon harissa, homemade (page 355) or store-bought

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, or 1 tablespoon dried mint

---

Rinse the spinach and cilantro, place in a large saucepan, and wilt over medium-low heat in the rinsing water clinging to the leaves. Drain well, transfer to a stew pot, place over medium heat, and stir with a wooden spoon until dry and browned. Add the beans, veal shanks, beef, garlic, onion, cinnamon stick, harissa, dill, mint, and water to cover. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed and the oil has risen to the top, about 3 hours. If the pot seems too dry before the dish is ready, add a little water. Serve hot.

VARIATION:

Rabbi Robert Sternberg in The Sephardic Kitchen refers to pkaila as a mixture of spinach and herbs that can be prepared ahead of time, like an herb jam. His version contains spinach, cilantro, parsley, mint, and green onions, all of which are chopped and wilted in oil with chopped onion and minced garlic. The mixture is then puréed in a blender or food processor, transferred to a jar, and topped with a thin layer of olive oil before it is capped. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks and then spooned into a stew as needed.

Persian Beef Stew Smothered in Green HerbsGHORMEH SABZI

This is one of the most famous and also most beloved of all the Persian stews. If you find that the greens turn too dark after cooking for a half hour, add a cup of wilted chopped spinach just before serving to brighten the look of the dish. If you cannot find the Omani limes, add a few tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice to the final sauce. Serve with Persian Rice (page 149).SERVES 4 TO 6

---

Olive oil for frying

2 pounds well-marbled stewing beef, such as boneless short ribs, chuck, or brisket, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 large yellow onions, chopped

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cup dried red kidney beans, picked over, soaked in water to cover overnight, drained, and rinsed

4 or 5 dried Omani limes, rinsed and struck with a meat pounder so they crack (optional)

5 cups hot water

2 cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 cups chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup chopped fresh dill

1 cup chopped celery leaves

1 bunch green onions, including green tops, chopped

1 cup chopped spinach

Fresh lemon juice

---

Warm 4 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. In batches, add the beef pieces and brown well on all sides. Using tongs, transfer to a plate. Warm 2 tablespoons oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the turmeric, season with salt and pepper, and stir well, then add the meat, beans, limes, and water. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low, cover, and cook until the meat is almost tender, about 1½ hours.

Wipe out the sauté pan, return it to medium heat, and add 3 to 4 tablespoons oil. Add the parsley, cilantro, dill, celery leaves, green onions, and spinach and cook, stirring and tossing as needed, until everything has wilted and become shiny, 5 to 8 minutes. Season the greens with salt and add to the meat. Mix well, cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes longer. Remove and discard the limes, then taste the pan juices and add lemon juice to taste and more salt if needed. Serve hot.

Persian Beef Stew with Prunes and CarrotsKHORESH-E HAVIJ VA ALU

A Persian khoresh is a cross between a stew and a sauce, so sometimes the meat is cut into 1-inch pieces, smaller than for a regular stew. In this dish, the carrots and prunes have equal presence. I often use blood orange juice for its color and perfume, plus blood oranges are one of the joys of our winter season. This dish can be made a day ahead of serving, but the sauce will thicken as it sits. Save the prune soaking liquid to add when reheating, so the prunes don’t scorch. Serve with rice pilaf or with Persian Rice (page 149).SERVES 4 TO 6

---

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 pounds stewing beef, such as boneless short ribs, brisket, or chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces

1½ cups beef broth

½ teaspoon saffron threads, finely crushed and steeped in ¼ cup hot water

2 large yellow onions, chopped

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup fresh orange juice, or ⅔ cup fresh orange juice and ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice

1 pound pitted prunes, plumped in hot water, drained, and water reserved

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses, if needed for balance

---

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, cardamom, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Warm 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. In batches, add the beef pieces and brown well on all sides, sprinkling them with about half of the spice mixture. Using tongs, transfer to a plate. Raise the heat to high, add the broth and the saffron infusion, and deglaze the pan, stirring to dislodge any brown bits on the pan bottom. Set aside off the heat.

Warm the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and pale gold, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir the remaining spice mixture into the onions. Add the meat and the contents of the sauté pan to the onions, stir well, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Add the carrots, citrus juice, and prunes and simmer until the meat and carrots are tender, about 30 minutes longer.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. It may need a bit of lemon juice or pomegranate molasses for balance or a bit more salt. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the prune soaking water. Serve hot.

Imperial CouscousCOUSCOUS IMPERIAL

Beef, lamb, or chicken can be used for this couscous. This version is a cross between a recipe from Tangier and one from Fez. Algerian cooks prefer beef or chicken for their couscous, but not lamb, and sometimes beef and chicken are used together. You can also replace the meat or poultry with meatballs (see basic recipe on page 333; reduce the initial cooking to a half hour). On Rosh Hashanah, cooked quinces are added along with the raisins to increase the sweetness for the New Year. If served on the night before Passover, fresh favas might be added. When this same stew is served with barley couscous, the dish is called tchicha, and when served with new wheat (freekeh), it is called azenbo. In other words, if the grain changes, the name changes, too.SERVES 6 TO 8

---

1 cup dried chickpeas, picked over, soaked in water to cover overnight in the refrigerator, drained, and rinsed

2 large yellow onions, chopped

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground ginger

½ teaspoon saffron threads, finely crushed and steeped in ¼ cup hot water or meat or poultry broth

¼ cup olive oil

6 large or 12 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1½-inch chunks

3 large or 6 small turnips, peeled and quartered or cut into 1½-inch chunks

2 pounds stewing beef (such as boneless short ribs, chuck, or brisket) or lamb (such as shoulder), cut into 2-inch pieces, or a mixture of beef or lamb and bone-in chicken pieces

1-pound piece winter squash, such as kabocha or butternut, peeled and cut into 1½- to 2-inch chunks

6 small zucchini, cut into 2-inch lengths

3 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

½ cup golden raisins

Couscous (page 158)

½ cup almonds, toasted (optional)

Honey (optional)

Harissa, homemade (page 355) or store-bought, for serving

---

In a saucepan, combine the chickpeas with water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain and reserve.

Put the meat, onions, salt, pepper, ginger, saffron infusion, and oil in a stew pot and turn the ingredients in the oil to coat evenly. Add water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour if using beef or lamb. If you opt for a mixture of meat and chicken, add the chicken after the first 30 minutes. Add the reserved chickpeas, carrots, turnips, and winter squash and cook for 30 minutes longer. Add the zucchini, tomatoes, and raisins, cover, and cook until all of the vegetables and the meat are tender, about 30 minutes longer.

Pile the couscous on a platter. Using a slotted spoon, lift the meat and vegetables from the stew pot and arrange them around the couscous, or make a well in the center of the couscous and put them in the well. Top with the almonds. Taste the pan juices and adjust the seasoning, adding a little honey if you like. Scoop out 1 cup of the pan juices and mix with harissa to taste. Spoon the remaining juices over the meat and vegetables. Serve at once and pass the harissa at the table.

Veal and Spinach Stew with Egg and LemonTERNERA Y ESPINACA AVGOLEMONO

Served on the Sabbath, this Sephardic Greek stew from Gilda Angel has a particularly velvety texture. Suzy David has a version of this recipe that uses lamb instead of veal and omits the egg and lemon. Tunisian Jews also pair veal and spinach, but they add white beans and omit the egg and lemon, as well. Serve this stew with rice.SERVES 8

---

½ cup olive oil, or as needed

3 pounds boneless veal shoulder or shank meat, cut into 1½-inch pieces

2 yellow onions, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

1½ to 2 cups water or meat broth, or as needed

2 pounds spinach, stemmed, blanched, chopped, and squeezed dry, or 2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

3 eggs

Juice of 2 lemons

---

Select a large stew pot or very wide, deep sauté pan with a tight-fitting lid, add the oil, and place over high heat. In batches, add the veal pieces and brown well on all sides. Using tongs, transfer the veal to a plate.

Add some oil to the pan if none remains (veal does not release any fat and may absorb all of the oil in the pan), turn down the heat to medium, add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Return the veal to the pan, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and pour in 1½ cups of the water. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to very low, cover, and simmer for about 1 hour. Check after 35 to 40 minutes and add more water if the liquid has evaporated, shaking or stirring the pan well to dislodge any brown bits and meat juices. (You can prepare the stew up to this point and refrigerate for up to a day and then reheat gently over low heat.) Add the spinach, re-cover, and cook until the meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes longer.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs and lemon juice until very frothy. Gradually whisk in about ½ cup of the hot stew liquid to temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir well over very low heat for a minute or two (or shake the pan back and forth) until the liquid thickens, then serve.

Sautéed Veal RollsINVOLTINI DI VITELLO

Sometimes Italian veal rolls are stuffed with the mixture used for meatballs (page 328), but here I have used a milder filling inspired by a recipe in Giuliana Ascoli Vitali-Norsa’s La cucina nella tradizione ebraica. Potatoes are the usual accompaniment to veal rolls (olive oil mashed potatoes are especially good), but polenta or rice would work, as well.SERVES 4

---

8 veal scallops (about 1 pound total weight)

8 ounces ground veal

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Extra virgin olive oil for frying

¼ cup fresh bread crumbs, soaked in water and squeezed dry

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup dry white wine

1½ cups beef, veal, or chicken broth, or as needed

---

Place each veal scallop between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness of ⅓ inch. In a bowl, combine the ground veal, bread crumbs, and egg and season with salt and pepper. Spread the ground meat mixture on the veal scallops, dividing it evenly. Roll up each scallop and skewer closed with a toothpick or tie with kitchen string.

Film a large, heavy sauté pan with oil and warm over high heat. Add the veal rolls and brown well on all sides. Add the wine and cook until it evaporates. Add the broth to cover, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the filling is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the rolls to a platter and remove the toothpicks or snip the strings. Keep warm. Raise the heat and reduce the pan juices until slightly thickened. Spoon the pan juices over the veal rolls and serve at once.

Tongue with Olive SauceLINGUA DI MANZO CON LE OLIVE

You can use a fresh or a corned tongue here. If you use the latter, bring it to a boil in water to cover, drain, and then re-cover with fresh water to cook. This step will rid the tongue of excess salt. Serve the tongue slices with the olive sauce or with Salsa Verde (page 229).SERVES 6 TO 8

---

1 beef tongue, about 3 pounds, well scrubbed

2 yellow onions, peeled but left whole

1 large carrot, peeled

3 celery ribs with leaves

12 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

6 coriander seeds

Boiling water to cover

OLIVE SAUCE

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh herb of choice, such as basil, marjoram, flat-leaf parsley, or mint

1½ cups pitted Mediterranean-style black olives, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in ½ cup tongue cooking water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

---

Place the tongue in a deep pot and add the onions, carrot, celery, peppercorns, bay leaf, coriander seeds, and boiling water to cover. Place over high heat, bring back to a boil, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, 2½ to 3 hours.

Remove the tongue from the pot. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve. When the tongue is cool enough to handle, peel it and cut away the thick gristle and bones at the large end. Slice the tongue and keep the slices warm.

To make the sauce, warm the oil in a large, deep sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and herb and sauté until the garlic is tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the olives and diluted tomato paste, season with salt and pepper, and stir well. Add the tongue slices to the pan, with enough of the strained cooking liquid to cover. Simmer over very low heat for 20 minutes to blend the flavors. Serve hot.

VARIATION:

Sweet-and-Sour Sauce for Tongue (Lingua di Manzo Agrodolce): Cook the tongue as directed, then peel, trim, slice, and keep warm. To make an agrodolce sauce, warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour and ½ teaspoon ground ginger and cook, stirring constantly, to form a roux, about 5 minutes. Add 2½ cups meat broth, tongue cooking liquid, or water and 1 cup Basic Tomato Sauce (page 328) and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low, whisk in 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar and ½ cup dry Marsala, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the grated zest of 1 lemon; ½ cup pine nuts, toasted; and ½ cup raisins, plumped in hot water or Marsala. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and spoon over the tongue slices. Alternatively, place the tongue slices in the sauce, cover the pan, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes to reheat the tongue and blend the flavors.

Calf’s Liver with Moroccan Spiced OnionsFOIE M’CHERMEL

To alter the number of servings, allow 1 onion and 4 to 5 ounces of liver per person and adjust the spices accordingly. If you are keeping kosher, broil the liver until it is cooked through and then sauce it with the onions. If you are not following the kosher laws, you can sauté the liver to the doneness you prefer. I cannot bring myself to cook it until it is well-done. I like liver rather rare, when it is still tender and not dry. Serve the liver with roast potatoes or couscous.SERVES 6

---

3 to 6 tablespoons olive oil

4 yellow onions, sliced about ¼ inch thick

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1½ pounds calf’s liver, any veins or membrane removed, then cut into slices (not too thin)

All-purpose flour for coating, if sautéing the liver

¾ cup chicken broth, if sautéing the liver

Lemon wedges for serving

---

Warm 3 tablespoons of the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add the cumin, paprika, and cayenne and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes longer. Add the lemon juice and half of the cilantro, season with salt and pepper, and then taste and adjust the seasoning. Set the onions aside and keep warm.

To broil the liver, preheat the broiler. Brush the broiler pan with oil. Place the liver on the broiler pan, slip the pan under the broiler, and broil the liver, turning once, until cooked to desired doneness. Transfer the liver to a platter and top with the onions. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve hot or warm, accompanied with lemon wedges.

To sauté the liver, spread some flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Dip the liver into the flour, coating both sides and tapping off the excess. Warm the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the liver and sear briefly on both sides, turning once. The liver should be medium-rare. Transfer the liver to a platter and keep warm. Pour the broth into the pan and deglaze over high heat, stirring to dislodge any brown bits from the pan bottom. Add the onion mixture to the pan and heat through. Pour the onions over the liver and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro. Serve hot or warm, accompanied with lemon wedges.

Fried Spiced LiverARNAVUT CİĞERI

This is known as Albanian liver in Turkey and often appears on the meze table.SERVES 4

---

1 pound calf’s or lamb’s liver, 1 inch thick

2 to 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon Maras or Aleppo pepper flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

Olive oil for frying

Turkish Onion Salad with Sumac (page 45)

---

Trim away any veins or membrane from the liver, then cut into 1-inch cubes. In a small bowl, combine the flour, pepper flakes, and cumin and mix well. In batches, coat the liver cubes with the flour mixture, tapping off the excess.

Film a large, heavy sauté pan with oil and warm over high heat. Add the liver cubes and cook quickly, turning to brown on each side, until cooked to desired doneness. Transfer to a plate and, if you like, skewer the cubes with toothpicks. Accompany with the onion salad.

Turkish Grilled Liver KebabCİĞER KEBABI

This flavorful liver recipe is acceptable to those keeping kosher, as the liver is broiled or cooked over a fire. Just be careful you do not overcook it or it will be dry. Typically the liver and onion salad are wrapped together in flatbread.SERVES 4

---

1 pound calf’s liver, 1 inch thick

2 teaspoons ground sumac

1½ teaspoons ground toasted cumin

1 teaspoon Maras or Aleppo pepper flakes

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil for marinade and brushing

Turkish Onion Salad with Sumac (page 45)

Flatbread for serving

Lemon wedges for serving

---

Trim away any veins or membrane from the liver, then cut into 1-inch cubes. In a small bowl, combine the sumac, cumin, pepper flakes, black pepper, and a couple of spoonfuls of oil and mix well. Coat the liver cubes with the spice mixture, cover, and refrigerate for a few hours to marinate.

Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat the broiler. Thread the liver cubes onto skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before using), brush with oil, and place directly over the coals or place on a sheet pan and slip under the broiler. Cook, turning as needed to color all sides, until cooked to desired doneness. Serve with the onion salad, flatbread, and lemon wedges.

LAMB

A spit-roasted whole baby lamb is a popular centerpiece on special occasions and holidays throughout the Mediterranean. It is often served during Passover, for example, because it is believed that lamb is what the Jews cooked in the wilderness during their exodus from Egypt. Since roasting a whole lamb is not an option for most home cooks, the best and most prestigious cut to use in its place is leg of lamb. But most strictly observant Jews do not cook the hind quarters of an animal in memory of a passage in Genesis in which Jacob battled with the angel, was injured, and became lame. It is not that leg of lamb is forbidden. It’s just that for the orthodox to eat the hind quarter of the animal, the sciatic nerve and blood vessels attached to it must be removed, a time-consuming process for the butcher. That’s why leg recipes are scarce and shank and shoulder recipes are numerous. Less observant cooks will disregard this arcane stipulation and cook a leg of lamb. But if you do not want to cross that line, you can splurge on lamb racks or on boneless loins, which are the eyes of the chops.

This leads to the question of the degree of doneness. Many of us prefer lamb chops and leg of lamb cooked rare to medium-rare for juiciness, texture, and flavor. As noted earlier, in kosher cooking, all meat must be soaked, salted, and cooked well-done so that no blood is visible. This is fine for stews made with shoulder, lamb shanks, and meatballs, but it poses a dilemma for anyone who likes lamb chops or leg cooked to a lesser degree of doneness. If you are not observant of kosher laws when it comes to cooking meat, you can choose to cook leg of lamb instead of shoulder and to the degree of doneness you prefer. In other words, you can stay with the spirit and flavors of the dish but not cook it in a kosher manner.

If you do shop for lamb shoulder rather than leg, you will find that it is often trimmed carelessly, with lots of outer fat still attached. It may be that you will need to purchase four pounds of lamb shoulder instead of three pounds, to make up for what you will need to trim off. This will not be a problem when you cook a whole shoulder, however, as the outer layer of fat will melt and baste the meat as it cooks.

Roast Lamb in Moroccan MarinadeMECHOUI

In Morocco, the term mechoui refers to a whole lamb cooked on a spit. The dish is served at big parties when the occasion is festive. Here, I have provided a variety of options in place of the whole animal. The spicing is the same as for the traditional mechoui, as it is good on any cut you choose. Cooked-vegetable salads are the usual accompaniments, and bowls of cumin salt, thinned harissa, and lemon wedges are the traditional condiments. Round out the menu with couscous with almonds and raisins.SERVES 6

---

CHOICE OF MEAT

3 lamb racks, ends trimmed (24 chops), or

4 lamb tenderloins, each about 8 ounces, cut crosswise into 1½- inch pieces, or

2 pounds lamb from leg, cut into 1½-inch cubes, or

1 bone-in lamb shoulder, 5 to 6 pounds, or

1 boneless leg of lamb, 4 to 5 pounds

MARINADE (FOR 5 TO 6 POUNDS MEAT)

2 teaspoons ground toasted cumin seeds

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Aleppo or Maras pepper flakes

2 tablespoons minced garlic

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

---

Garlic slivers, if using lamb racks, whole shoulder, or leg (optional)

Olive oil for searing, if using lamb racks

Thin yellow onion slivers for the skewers, if cooking kebabs

About 1½ cups meat broth, if cooking leg of lamb

Lemon wedges for serving (optional)

Cumin salt made from 3 parts ground toasted cumin and 1 part kosher salt (optional)

Harissa, homemade (page 355) or store-bought, thinned with olive oil and fresh lemon juice for serving (optional)

---

Select the cut of meat. If using lamb racks, a lamb shoulder, or a leg of lamb, you will need to make the whole marinade recipe. If using lamb tenderloins or cubed lamb from leg, you will need to cut the marinade recipe in half. To make the marinade, in a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.

If using lamb racks: Insert garlic slivers between the chops. Rub the racks with the marinade, coating evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Film a large, heavy sauté pan with oil and warm over high heat. In batches, sear the racks on all sides until nicely browned. Transfer the racks, flesh side up, to a roasting pan and finish in the oven, 15 to 20 minutes. To test for doneness, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of a rack away from bone; it should read 120° to 130°F for rare, 130° to 140°F for medium-rare, 140° to 150°F for medium, or to desired degree of doneness. Start testing after 12 minutes.

If using tenderloins or meat from leg for kebabs: Rub the meat cubes with the marinade and cover and marinate for 2 hours at room temperature or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill or preheat the broiler. Thread the meat onto skewers (if using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 30 minutes before using), alternating the cubes with thin slivers of onion, then grill or broil, turning once, to desired degree of doneness.

If using lamb shoulder: Cut slits in the meat and insert a garlic sliver in each slit. Rub the shoulder with the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Bring the shoulder to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Put the shoulder in a roasting pan and roast for 30 minutes. Turn down the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to roast, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until cooked through and tender, 2 to 2½ hours longer. Transfer to a carving board, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut the lamb into serving pieces and arrange on a platter. Spoon off the fat from the pan juices and serve the defatted juices with the lamb.

If using leg of lamb: Cut slits in the meat and insert a garlic sliver in each slit. If you want to make a spoon sauce for serving with the lamb, reserve a little of the marinade and rub the leg with the remaining marinade. If not, rub all of the marinade on the leg. Cover the leg and refrigerate overnight. The next day, preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the lamb, meatier side up, in a roasting pan and roast for 25 minutes. Lower the heat to 325°F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg reads 120° to 125°F for rare or 130° to 135°F for medium-rare, about 1¼ hours longer. You also can cook the leg well-done, or even meltingly tender, Moroccan style, 2 to 2½ hours longer. Transfer the leg to a carving board, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Spoon off the fat from the pan juices, place the pan over high heat, add the broth, and deglaze the pan, stirring to dislodge any brown bits from the pan bottom. Stir in the reserved marinade, if using. Slice the lamb, arrange the slices on a platter, and spoon the pan sauce over the slices.

Serve the lamb hot. Pass lemon wedges and bowls of cumin salt and thinned harissa at the table.

VARIATIONS:

Mint Variation: Omit the cilantro in the marinade and add 1 cup chopped fresh mint.

Sephardic Greek Marinade for Kebabs: Combine 1 yellow onion, grated; 1 teaspoon bahārāt or ground cumin; ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes, ½ cup olive oil, and 2 to 4 tablespoons wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Marinate the lamb cubes for at least 4 hours or up to overnight, thread onto skewers, and grill or broil as directed.

Turkish Marinade for Kebabs: In a food processor, pulse 1 yellow onion, cut into chunks, until grated. Add 2 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon hot paprika or Aleppo or Maras pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, ½ cup olive oil, and 2 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and pulse to combine. Marinate the lamb cubes overnight, thread onto skewers and grill or broil as directed. Serve with flatbread and Turkish Onion and Sumac Salad (page 45) or with couscous.

Braised Lamb Shoulder with OlivesSPALLA DI MONTONE CON LE OLIVE

In the Roman ghetto, restaurants off the Via Portico d’Ottavio still serve this dish. Traditionally, a shoulder of lamb was boned, rubbed with salt, pepper, cloves, and cinnamon, and then rolled and tied. Here, I have given you the option of cooking a bone-in lamb shoulder, a rolled and tie boneless shoulder, stew-size pieces, or lamb shanks. The rolled and tied shoulder gives you the prettiest servings, as its compact shape ensures nice-looking slices. But it is more important that the meat be meltingly tender than the slices be aesthetically pleasing.SERVES 6

---

CHOICE OF MEAT

1 bone-in lamb shoulder, about 5 pounds; or

3½ pounds boneless lamb shoulder, either rolled and tied or cut into 2-inch pieces for stew; or

6 lamb shanks, each about 1 pound

---

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Olive oil for rubbing and frying

3 yellow onions, sliced

2 cups meat broth, or as needed

½ cup dry white wine (optional)

6 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 to 2 tablespoons grated orange zest (optional)

1 cup Mediterranean-style green olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

---

Trim the lamb of excess fat. In a small bowl, stir together the cloves, cinnamon, pepper, salt, and a few spoonfuls of oil. Rub the meat with the spice mixture, then cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

Film a large, heavy sauté pan with oil and warm over high heat. In batches if necessary, add the meat and brown well on all sides. Transfer the meat to a stew pot, leaving the fat behind in the pan.

Add the onions to the fat remaining in the sauté pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the onions to the pot. Add about ½ cup of the broth or the wine to the sauté pan, raise the heat to high, and deglaze the pan, stirring to dislodge the brown bits from the pan bottom. Add to the pot. Add broth just to cover the meat and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the carrots and rosemary, re-cover, and cook for 25 minutes. Add the orange zest and olives and continue to simmer until the meat is tender, about 15 minutes longer for stew meat and about 30 minutes longer for the shoulder or shanks. Spoon off the excess fat from the pan juices, then taste the juices and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve the stew or shanks hot with the juices. If you have cooked a rolled shoulder, let it rest for about 10 minutes, then snip the strings, carve the meat into slices, and serve hot with the juices. If you have cooked a bone-in shoulder, let it rest, then cut into serving pieces and serve hot with the juices.

Moroccan Lamb with Preserved Lemon and OlivesTAGINE MQUALLI

This robust Moroccan stew is flavored with preserved lemon, a pantry staple for anyone who cooks Moroccan food. Lamb shanks can be prepared well ahead of time and reheat beautifully. If you cannot find shanks, or they are too large for your pot, substitute 3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces, and reduce the cooking time by 15 to 30 minutes. Serve the lamb with couscous.SERVES 6

---

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for browning the lamb

6 lamb shanks, each about 1 pound

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 yellow onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 teaspoons sweet paprika

1½ teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground toasted cumin

¼ teaspoon saffron threads, finely crushed and steeped in 2 tablespoons hot water

1 to 1½ cups water or meat broth

Peel of 2 to 3 preserved lemons, homemade (page 356) or store-bought, rinsed and cut into narrow strips

⅔ cup Kalamata or other black olives

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

---

Film the bottom of a large, heavy sauté pan with oil and warm over high heat. Sprinkle the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. In batches, add the shanks and brown well on all sides. Using tongs, transfer to a plate and set aside.

Warm the 3 tablespoons oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, paprika, ginger, cumin, and saffron infusion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the browned shanks and the water just to cover, bring to a simmer, turn down the heat to low, cover, and cook until tender, about 1½ hours. If the shanks are large, they will take 20 to 30 minutes longer. (Alternatively, transfer the pot to a preheated 350°F oven for the same amount of time.)

Add the preserved lemon, olives, lemon juice, cilantro, and parsley, re-cover, and simmer for 15 minutes longer to blend the flavors. Using tongs, transfer the shanks to individual serving plates, spoon the pan juices, preserved lemon, and olives over the top, and serve.

Lamb or Kid and Artichokes with Egg and LemonAGNELLO O CAPRETTO E CARCIOFI ALL’UOVA E LIMONE

This recipe from Calabria traditionally calls for kid (baby goat), which is starting to appear at our farmers’ markets. A similar recipe appears in Roman Jewish kitchens under the name capretto alla giudia. Passover lamb recipes of Lazio and Tuscany, spezza-tino d’agnello con salsa di uova per Pasqua and agnello brodettato, respectively, are practically identical, except for their use of lamb. Partially cooked quartered fennel bulbs can be added during the last 10 minutes of cooking. In the spirit of spring, peas, favas, and asparagus can also make their appearance in this stew. Roast potatoes are a good accompaniment.SERVES 6

---

½ cup olive oil, or as needed

3½ pounds boneless lamb shoulder or kid shoulder, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (optional)

1 cup dry white wine

6 small artichokes

1 lemon, plus juice of 2 large lemons (about ½ cup)

Meat broth or water, if needed

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or mint

---

Warm the oil in a stew pot or large, heavy sauté pan over high heat. Add the lamb, onion, and 2 tablespoons of the parsley and sauté until the lamb is golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the flour and mix well. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat for about 5 minutes, then turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the artichokes: Fill a large bowl with water. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the water. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, remove all of the leaves until you reach the heart. Trim off the tough base of the stem and then pare away the dark green areas from the base and the tender stem. Cut the artichoke heart in half lengthwise and scoop out and discard the choke from each half with a small pointed spoon or paring knife. Cut each half in half again and slip the pieces into the lemon water.

When the meat has simmered for 50 to 60 minutes, drain the artichokes and add them to the pot along with some broth if needed for moisture, re-cover, and continue to simmer until the meat and artichokes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

In a bowl, beat together the egg yolks, lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and the marjoram until very frothy. Remove the stew from the heat and beat in the egg-lemon mixture, stirring constantly until fully incorporated. Re-cover and let stand off the heat until the eggs thicken the sauce, about 3 minutes. Serve at once.

Tunisian Passover Stew with Spring VegetablesMSOKI

For this celebration of spring, Andrée Zana-Murat and Daisy Taieb both offer a varied assortment of vegetables enhanced with the richness of meat juices and bits of cooked meat. Zana-Murat adds a meat loaf called osbane (page 351) to the stew after an hour or so of cooking. Crumbled matzos are spread over the top just before serving to absorb the fragrant juices. If you do not want to use lamb shanks, you can use only lamb shoulder, increasing the amount to 4 pounds. But the shanks add wonderful gelatinous juices to thicken the sauce, so I recommend you seek them out. Some people like this dish quite brothy and serve it in soup bowls. Others omit the meat from the vegetable stew and accompany the vegetables with a dish of meatballs in tomato sauce. Serve the stew with couscous.SERVES 10 TO 12

---

8 carrots, peeled and cut into large dice

4 turnips, peeled and cut into large dice

½ head young celery with leaves, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 small head Savoy cabbage, cored and cut into 2-inch pieces

1 celery root, peeled and cut into large dice

1 or 2 fennel bulbs with leaves, quartered lengthwise

3 white or yellow onions, diced

2 teaspoons harissa, homemade (page 355) or store-bought, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 large lamb shanks (or veal or beef shanks)

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces

4 artichokes, leaves removed, base and stem trimmed, each heart quartered lengthwise, and choke discarded

2 tablespoons ground dried rose petals (optional)

2 teaspoons ground coriander

8 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

½ cup chopped fresh dill

½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup olive or sunflower oil

2 pounds spinach or young Swiss chard, cut into 1¼-inch pieces

2 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled, blanched, and peeled

⅓ cup chopped fresh mint

4 matzos

---

In a large bowl, combine the carrots, turnips, celery, cabbage, celery root, and fennel. Add the onions, rose petals, coriander, half of the garlic, 1 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper, 3 tablespoons of the cilantro, and ¼ cup each of the dill and parsley and mix well. Set aside.

Pour the oil into a large stew pot, stir in the harissa, the remaining garlic, the turmeric, and the remaining 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and place over medium heat. Add the shanks and shoulder meat and sauté for about 5 minutes, turning the pieces to coat them with the oil and spices. Add water just to cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Add the mixed vegetables, stir well, and simmer for 30 minutes. (Note: if adding osbane do it now.) Add the artichokes and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the spinach, favas, mint, the remaining ¼ cup each dill and parsley, and the remaining 5 tablespoons cilantro. Cover and cook until all of the vegetables and the meats are tender, 15 to 20 minutes longer.

Remove the shanks from the pot, cut off the meat, and return the meat to the pot. (Reserve the shank bones and roast them at high heat for 30 minutes to add to the Passover Seder plate.) Break the matzos into quarters and place them on top of the vegetables and meat. Serve hot or warm.

Turkish Lamb with Green GarlicKODRERO CON AJO FRESCO

Spring is when green garlic appears at the market. These fragrant green shoots with tiny young bulbs resemble large green onions or baby leeks, and combined with green onions, they make for a delicate and aromatic stew. If you cannot find green garlic at your market, you can use garlic cloves instead. With the slow cooking, the cloves will become mild and creamy. I recommend braising this dish in the oven for even cooking and to eliminate worries about scorching, but if oven space is tight, the stove top will do. This stew was a great favorite at Passover at my restaurant, Square One, and it is usually the centerpiece of my family Seder. Serve with rice or roast potatoes.SERVES 6 TO 8

---

Olive oil for browning and sautéing

3 to 4 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup meat broth or water, or as needed

¼ cup tomato paste

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Maras or Aleppo pepper flakes, or more to taste

1 pound green garlic stalks, or 2 small heads garlic

2 pounds green onions (about 6 large bunches)

2 pounds fresh fava beans, shelled, blanched, and peeled (optional)

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (optional)

Chopped fresh mint or flat-leaf parsley for garnish

---

If oven braising, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Film a large, heavy sauté pan with oil and warm over high heat. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. In batches, add the lamb to the pan and brown well on all sides. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a stew pot.

Pour off the excess fat from the sauté pan, add a little of the broth, and deglaze the pan over high heat, stirring to dislodge any brown bits from the pan bottom. Add the pan juices to the stew pot. Combine the tomato paste and vinegar with the remaining broth, stir well, and add to the lamb. The liquid should just cover the lamb; add more if needed. Add the Maras pepper and a sprinkle of salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer on the stove top until the lamb is almost tender, about 1 hour. Alternatively, bring to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven for 50 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the green garlic (or garlic) and the green onions. Cut off the root end of the green garlic stalks and slice the stalks into 2-inch lengths, using all of the green. (Or, separate the cloves of the garlic heads and peel the cloves.) Cut off the roots of the green onions, then cut the green onions, including the green tops, into 2-inch lengths. Bring a saucepan filled with salted water to a boil, add the green garlic (or garlic cloves) and green onions, blanch for 2 minutes, drain well, and pat dry.

Warm a few tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the green garlic and green onions and sauté them in batches until they take on a bit of color, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.

After the lamb has been cooking for 1 hour, add the green garlic (or blanched garlic cloves) and green onions, re-cover, and continue to simmer until the lamb is tender, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Add the favas during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Add the lemon juice to brighten the flavors, then spoon into a deep platter, garnish with mint, and serve.

Turkish Lamb Stew with RiceTAS KEBAB

When we hear the word kebab, we think of a skewer of meat cooked on the grill. In Turkey, however, the word kebab usually refers to roasted meat or a dry stew. (A brothy stew is a yahni.) Esin Eden’s family recipe is a very homey dish, in which rice is cooked along with the meat in the same pan. The flavors are reminiscent of stews prepared al chilindrón style from the Navarre and Rioja regions of Spain, though the cinnamon is a Turkish addition. If you want the stew to revert to Spanish roots, replace the cinnamon with 2 teaspoons sweet paprika or a combination of sweet and hot paprika.SERVES 6

---

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1½- to 2-inch cubes

2 yellow onions, chopped

3 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped

4 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

2½ cups meat broth, or as needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup basmati or other long-grain white rice, rinsed and then preferably soaked in water to cover for 1 hour and drained

Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

---

Warm 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy sauté pan over high heat. In batches, add the lamb and brown well on all sides. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate and set aside.

Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the bell peppers and sauté for 5 minutes longer. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, allspice, and 1 cup of the broth and season with salt and pepper. Return the meat to the pot, bring to a simmer, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is almost tender, about 1¼ hours. Check at the midpoint and add a little more broth if the pan is beginning to dry.

Add the remaining 1½ cups broth, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the rice, turn down the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. If you hear crackling sounds, the pot is likely dry and you need to add a little more broth. Spoon onto a deep platter, garnish with parsley, and serve.

VARIATIONS:

Upside-Down Stew: Respected Turkish food writer Nevin Halıcı calls tas kebab an “upside-down stew.” She cooks the lamb with tomatoes and herbs (no bell peppers), then strains the stewing liquid into a measuring cup and tops it off with enough hot broth to measure 2 cups. She packs the cooked stew meat into an oiled ovenproof bowl, places the bowl upside down in a baking dish, adds 1 cup well-rinsed rice and the hot braising broth to the dish, covers the dish, and then bakes the rice in a preheated 350°F oven for about 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender. The cover comes off, the bowl is removed, and the stew is centered in the middle of the rice for a very dramatic presentation.

Layered Lamb, Eggplant, Tomato, and Rice (Makloubeh): This dish is popular in Israel, where it is sometimes prepared with chicken instead of lamb. Oil a deep saucepan or baking dish. Layer sliced tomatoes on the bottom and top with the lamb stew cooked as above, followed by sautéed eggplant slices, and finally the rice, packing the layers well. Add the hot meat broth, cover, and cook on the stove top or in a preheated 350°F oven until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before unmolding.

Lamb with Freekeh (Freekeh bel Lahmeh): Omit the red bell peppers and use freekeh in place of the rice. Garnish with toasted almonds.

Lamb Stew from DjerbaD’FINA DJERBALIYA

This Sabbath d’fina is named for the Tunisian island of Djerba, where a sizable Jewish community once lived. It is also the home to the ancient Ghriba synagogue. The current building dates to the nineteenth century, but the site has been home to synagogues since the sixth century BCE and was the target of a terrorist attack in 2002. Only a few Jewish families remain on the island, but recently the synagogue, protected by government troops, has become the site of a festival that welcomes Jews from other countries to celebrate the holiday of Lag B’Omer. This d’fina is an ideal dish for Rosh Hashanah as well as for the Sabbath. Serve with couscous.SERVES 6 TO 8

---

½ cup dried chickpeas

½ cup dried apricots, soaked in hot water for a few hours

½ cup pitted prunes, soaked in hot water for a few hours

¼ cup olive oil

4 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes

2 to 3 yellow onions, diced (about 4 cups)

1 large or 2 small green bell peppers, seeded and diced

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

½ teaspoon ground allspice or cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground toasted cumin

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups water or lamb broth

1 cup raisins (optional)

Salt

---

Pick over the chickpeas, then place in a bowl, add water to cover, and let soak in the refrigerator overnight. Drain, rinse well, and transfer to a saucepan. Add water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Set the chickpeas aside in their cooking liquid.

Drain the apricots and prunes, reserving the soaking water. Coarsely chop the fruit and set aside.

Warm the oil in a large, heavy sauté pan over high heat. In batches, add the meat and brown well on all sides. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer to a stew pot.

Add the onions, bell pepper, and garlic to the fat remaining in the sauté pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the allspice, cumin, cayenne, and black pepper, stir well, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Transfer the contents of the pan to the stew pot, add the water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

Drain the chickpeas and add to the stew pot along with the prunes, apricots, and raisins. If most of the liquid in the pot has been absorbed, add some of the fruit soaking water. Continue to simmer the stew until the meat is tender, about 30 minutes longer. Season with salt, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Spoon into a deep platter and serve.

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and HoneyMROUZIA

In Algeria, this stew is often served on the second night of Rosh Hashanah as part of the tradition of serving sweet food to celebrate the sweet New Year. It is not served on the first night, as prunes are black and no black food is permitted on the first night. In Morocco, some cooks add a mixture of dried fruits, such as apricots, pears, and raisins, along with the prunes. If you want to follow Algerian tradition, you can serve this on the first night by substituting apricots and golden raisins for the prunes. A cup of toasted blanched almonds can be added in place of the sesame seeds.SERVES 8

---

Olive oil for browning

4 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1½- to 2-inch cubes; 4 large lamb shanks, each about 1½ pounds, halved crosswise; or 8 small shanks, each about 12 ounces

3 yellow onions, chopped

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons ground coriander

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crushed

2 to 3 cups water or lamb broth

1 pound pitted prunes, soaked in hot water for a few hours

⅓ cup dark honey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

---

Film a large, heavy sauté pan with oil and warm over high heat. In batches, add the lamb and brown well on all sides. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer to a stew pot.

Add the onions to the fat remaining in the sauté pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the cinnamon, ginger, coriander, pepper, and saffron and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pan to the stew pot, add the water to barely cover, and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is almost tender, 1 to 1½ hours.

Drain the prunes and add to the stew. Re-cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about 20 minutes longer. Add the honey and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a deep platter, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve.

VARIATIONS:

With Raisins, Almonds, and Honey: Substitute 2 cups raisins, plumped in hot water and drained, for the prunes and 1 to 1½ cups blanched almonds for the sesame seeds. This is a Passover specialty of Fez and Meknes.

With Sweet Oranges: The restaurant at La Maison Arabe hotel in Marrakech adds preserved oranges, rather than prunes or raisins, to their classic lamb tagine. Quarter 4 Candied Oranges (page 370) and add to the stew during the last 20 minutes of cooking instead of the prunes. You may not need to add any honey as the oranges are quite sweet. Garnish with the sesame seeds, if you like.

Persian Stew with Lamb or Beef, Spinach, and PrunesKHORESH-E ESFENAJ VA ALU

I use lamb shoulder (or boneless beef short ribs) for this dish, as it has a bit of fat, which will keep the meat juicy. If you have dried Omani limes, use them here. If not, you will need to balance the flavor of the dish with lemon juice just before serving. Iran is known for its golden dried plums, but we can use pitted prunes and still be happy with the results. Some cooks add a bunch of chopped green onions when adding the spinach, but I do not think it is needed as long as the onions are large. Serve with Persian Rice (page 149).SERVES 4

---

6 tablespoons olive oil

1½ pounds boneless lamb shoulder or beef short ribs, cut into 1- to 1½- inch pieces

Salt

2 large yellow onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or advieh

3 or 4 dried Omani limes, rinsed and struck with a meat pounder so they crack (optional)

2 cups chicken or beef broth, or as needed

12 prunes, pitted

1½ pounds spinach, chopped

Juice of 2 lemons, if not using limes

---

Warm 3 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. In batches, add the meat and brown well on all sides, sprinkling it with salt. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

Warm the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and pale gold, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic, turmeric, cinnamon, and 1½ teaspoons salt and cook for a few minutes. Add the meat, cracked Omani limes (reserve the lemon juice, if using), and the broth to the onion mixture and stir well. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low, cover, and cook until the meat is tender, about 1½ hours. Check every 35 or 40 minutes to make sure that the pan is not dry and add more broth if needed. Add the prunes during the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking.

While the stew cooks, wilt the spinach in a saucepan over medium-low heat in the rinsing water clinging to the leaves just until no liquid remains. If you want the spinach to remain bright green, add it to the stew during the last 10 minutes of cooking; otherwise, add it along with the prunes. When the stew is ready, if you have not used the limes, add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning. You may want just a squeeze of lemon juice and a bit more cinnamon and salt. Remove and discard the limes, if used, and serve hot.

Lamb Stew with QuinceARNAKI ME KYTHONIA

Quinces are greatly prized in Greece and Turkey. During the fall, their unique scent permeates every kitchen. You can stew them along with the meat, or you may cook them separately as a compote (so you can have some for an accompaniment to roast lamb or chicken) and add them during the last 15 minutes the stew cooks. Although this recipe is Greek, the pomegranate juice is a Turkish shortcut to help redden the quinces more quickly. If you have some of my preserved quince slices (page 367) on hand, you can use them instead of the fresh quince, adding them during the last 15 minutes of cooking. If you cannot find fresh quinces and have no preserved quinces, you can use apples or pears, in which case you must cut the sugar to 2 tablespoons.SERVES 6

---

2½ to 3 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground toasted cumin

Juice of 1 lemon

3 pounds quinces

¼ cup olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup water or meat broth

2 tablespoons margarine or olive oil

½ cup sugar

1 cup pomegranate juice or water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

---

Rub the meat with 1 teaspoon each of the cinnamon and cumin. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours or preferably overnight.

Have ready a large bowl of water to which you have added the lemon juice. Peel, halve, core, and thickly slice the quinces and slip the slices into the lemon water.

Warm the oil in a large, heavy sauté pan over medium-high heat. In batches, add the meat and brown well on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

Add the onions to the fat remaining in the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon each cinnamon and cumin and the cayenne and cook for a few minutes longer. Add the browned meat and the water, bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, drain the quince slices. Warm the margarine in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the quince slices, sprinkle with the sugar, and cook, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the pomegranate juice and simmer until the quince slices are translucent, 15 to 20 minutes longer. (You can cook the quince slices up to this point a day in advance and let them rest in their cooking liquid at room temperature until needed. They will redden more with the day’s rest.)

When the meat has cooked for 1 hour, add the quince slices and their cooking liquid and simmer until the meat and fruit are tender, about 30 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Turkish Lamb Stew with ChestnutsHAMIN DE KASTANYA

The presence of the word hamin here implies a Sabbath dish that can be prepared before sundown on Friday. This recipe is adapted from a Turkish cookbook, Sefarad Yemekleri, but its origins are Spanish. Most of the work in this dish is peeling the chestnuts. Some say roasting is easier than boiling. I have found that the ease of peeling chestnuts varies from batch to batch; they can be a breeze to peel or maddeningly frustrating. Be patient, have a very sharp knife, and have asbestos-tipped fingers at the ready because the chestnuts must be peeled while hot. Cut a deep cross on the round side of each chestnut. You can then roast them in a 425°F oven, turning them once, for 20 to 30 minutes, or you can boil them in salted water until the shell starts to split. Peel a few at a time and keep them hot. When the chestnuts are fully cooked they lose their white opaque centers.

I have found that the best peeling method for chestnuts is to heat them in the microwave. Cut the cross on all of the chestnuts, soak them in water for a few minutes, drain well, and then, in batches of three or four, put them in the microwave for 50 to 60 seconds. Cut away the outer shell and the thin brown peel that covers each nut. They are not yet cooked but can be cooked through later. If time is short or you cannot find fresh chestnuts, purchase vacuum-packed peeled and cooked chestnuts. Avoid water-packed canned chestnuts.SERVES 6

---

¼ cup olive or sunflower oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1½-inch cubes

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

2 tablespoons tomato paste dissolved in 2 cups meat broth or water, plus more broth or water if needed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound chestnuts, peeled (see headnote)

1 pound boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

---

Warm the oil in a stew pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and pale gold, about 15 minutes. Add the meat and brown well on all sides. Add the cinnamon, allspice, and the diluted tomato paste to the pot. The liquid should barely cover the meat; add more broth if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is almost tender, about 1 hour.

If using microwave-peeled chestnuts, add them and the potatoes to the pot and simmer until all of the ingredients are tender, 20 to 30 minutes longer. If using fully cooked vacuum-packed peeled chestnuts or fully cooked oven-roasted or boiled peeled chestnuts, add them during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Transfer the stew to a serving dish, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Eggplant and Lamb CasseroleMOUSSAKA

Moussaka is the ideal cold-weather dish: rich and stick-to-the-ribs hearty. It calls for a lot of eggplant and relatively little meat, for an economical family meal with glorious leftovers. According to culinary historian John Cooper, moussaka was served during Rosh Hashanah. Classic Greek moussaka has a baked topping of cheesy béchamel custard. Because kosher laws do not allow meat and dairy in the same meal, Jewish cooks have come up with inspired alternatives to traditional béchamel. For example, in La cucina nella tradizione ebraica, a cookbook compiled by the Italian Jewish women’s organization ADEI WIZO, moussaka is topped with a fake béchamel sauce made from flour, fat, and broth. In this Turkish Sephardic moussaka from La table juive, moussaka takes on a totally different character. Instead of the richness of cheese and cream, it is rich and smoky from the addition of the chopped roasted eggplant added to the meat filling. Most recipes suggest frying the eggplant slices in oil, but I prefer brushing them with oil and baking them in the oven, as much less oil is used.

In Turkey, moussaka is usually layered in a deep, cylindrical mold, much like a charlotte tin or a soufflé dish, and then unmolded before it is brought to the table. This makes for a dramatic presentation, but it is trickier to serve. If the layers are not compacted well, the mold will collapse after the first cut. I have taken the coward’s way out and prepare this recipe in a baking dish and then serve it directly from the dish. Also, although this dish is very tasty when freshly baked, it becomes even tastier when reheated a day later, after the flavors have had a chance to meld and mellow.SERVES 6 TO 8

---

4 globe eggplants (about 1 pound each)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil for brushing and sautéing

1½ pounds lamb shoulder, cut into very small dice, chopped, or coarsely ground

2 large yellow onions, finely chopped

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (canned tomatoes are acceptable)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 to 6 tablespoons fine dried bread crumbs

---

Peel the skin lengthwise in stripes from 2 of the eggplants, then cut the eggplants crosswise into slices ⅓ inch thick. Place the slices in a colander in the sink or over a bowl, sprinkling them with salt as you go, and let drain for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Oil 1 or 2 sheet pans. Place the eggplant slices on the prepared pan(s), brush the slices with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake, turning once, until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Roast the remaining 2 eggplants as directed in Master Recipe for Roasted Eggplant (page 27). After draining the pulp, chop it. You should have about 2 cups coarse purée. Set aside.

Warm a few tablespoons oil in a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat. Add the lamb and cook, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb to a bowl. Add the onions to the fat remaining in the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and cinnamon, season with salt and pepper, and then return the lamb to the pan and mix well. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir in the chopped eggplant pulp, taste, and adjust the seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush an 8-by-12-by-2-inch baking dish with oil (or use a large oval gratin dish). Sprinkle the dish lightly with some of the bread crumbs and line the bottom with one-third of the eggplant slices. Evenly spread half of the lamb mixture over the eggplant slices, sprinkle with half of the remaining bread crumbs, and top with half of the remaining eggplant slices. Spread the remaining lamb mixture on top, sprinkle with the remaining bread crumbs, and finish with the remaining eggplant slices. Cover the dish with foil, place in a large baking pan or roasting pan, and add water to the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. You may uncover the dish if you want it to take on some color.

Bake until bubbling, about 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve very warm. If you feel there is too much oil in the dish, scoop some out with a spoon, though it does contribute to the classic richness of the dish.

Persian Stew with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and GrapesKHORESH-E BADEMJAN BA AB GHUREH

This is sort of a reversed, or deconstructed, moussaka. It is ideal for serving in early fall, when eggplants, tomatoes, and grapes are all in season. Serve the stew with Persian Rice (page 149).SERVES 6 TO 8

---

8 to 10 small round eggplants, or 2 or 3 large globe eggplants (2½ to 3 pounds total)

Salt

Olive oil for frying

2 large yellow onions, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

Juice of 1 lemon, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

2 cups drained chopped canned tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1½ to 2 cups hot water or meat broth

4 or 5 cinnamon sticks

4 ripe fresh tomatoes, halved crosswise

1 cup unripe or tart grapes

½ teaspoon saffron threads steeped in 3 tablespoons hot water

---

If using small round eggplants, cut them crosswise into halves or thirds. If using large eggplants, cut them crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices. Place the eggplant pieces in a colander in the sink or over a bowl, sprinkling them with salt as you go, and let drain for 30 minutes. Pat dry with paper towels.

Warm a few tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. In batches, fry the eggplant pieces, turning once and adding more oil as needed, until golden brown on both sides. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towels to drain.

Add the onions to the oil remaining in the pan and fry, turning as needed, until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the garlic and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onion mixture to a stew pot.

Add the lamb to the oil remaining in the sauté pan over medium heat and brown on all sides. Add the lamb to the onion mixture along with the lemon juice, turmeric, and chopped tomatoes and stir well. Dissolve the tomato paste in 1½ cups of the water and add to the pot. The liquid should barely cover the meat; add more hot water if needed. Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low, place the cinnamon sticks on top, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes. Uncover the pot and arrange the fried eggplant slices on top of the meat. Re-cover and simmer for 20 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, rinse the sauté pan, place over high heat, and add enough oil to film the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato halves and sear briefly on both sides. Place the tomato halves cut side up atop the eggplants, scatter the grapes over the tomatoes, and drizzle the saffron infusion evenly over the top. Re-cover and cook until all of the ingredients are tender, about 20 minutes longer. Taste the pan juices and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and lemon juice if needed. Serve hot.

GROUND MEAT IN ALL ITS GLORY

This section is a celebration of the thriftiness and creativity of the Mediterranean Jews. You will find recipes for meat loaf, meatballs, kefta, sausages, meat fillings for vegetables, and nearly every other dish that uses ground meat. The meat can be beef or lamb and must not be too lean. Ground meat needs some fat if meatballs and meat loaves are to be moist and tender. Fat is a crucial ingredient, and unfortunately, it is getting harder to find anything except extra-lean ground meat at the market.

In Italy and Greece, the same basic mixture can be used for both meatballs and meat loaf. In the spirit of thrift, and according to a long Sephardic tradition, cooked vegetables can be added to extend the meatball mixture and feed a few more hungry diners. In most recipes, tomato sauce is the ubiquitous accompaniment. It can be spicy, sweet-and-sour, fruit enhanced, or laced with herbs.

All of the recipes are prepared in the same general manner. The ground meat is mixed with spices, herbs, and fresh bread crumbs. During Passover, matzo meal is used instead of bread crumbs, and although it works fine, the texture is not as good as it is with bread crumbs. Some meatballs include grated onion or minced garlic. Occasionally, an egg is added to help bind the mixture. It is best to combine the ingredients with your hands, to make sure all of the ingredients are evenly mixed.

The major recipe variations occur in the use of spices. Each country’s spice profile is reflected in the seasoning of the meat mixture. That means that Italy might mix in a bit of nutmeg, Greece will use cinnamon, Turkey might add bahārāt, Morocco will include a spoonful of ras el hanout, Algeria will mix in some harissa, and Iran will add advieh.

Before shaping any meat mixture into meatballs, fry up a single ball of the mixture to test the seasoning, then adjust the remaining mixture with more salt or spice if needed. When you are happy with the seasoning, shape all of the meatballs and put them on parchment paper–lined sheet pans. You can refrigerate them at this point to cook them later or you can cook them right away. Some meatballs are fried first and others are poached directly in broth or sauce.

Most ground-meat fillings for stuffing vegetables (dolma, yaprak, and sarma), such as grape leaves and cabbage leaves, call for rice, though a few stay with bread crumbs.

Sephardic Meat Loaf with Sweet-and-Sour Tomato SauceROLLO ME HAMINADOS

This recipe comes from the Sephardim of Greece, though similar meat loaf recipes are found in Italian and Iranian Jewish kitchens. This is a Sabbath dish, baked in the hamin, or oven, and served at room temperature. But it is especially succulent served hot with a sweet-and-sour tomato sauce.

Meat loaf can be tricky to make correctly, as you want it to set up and be firm enough to slice but not too bready. Achieving this balance is a matter of feel. When you mix the meat, you do not want it to feel too wet, or it won’t be sliceable. A bit more bread will help. I have given an option of matzo meal here, too, though bread will absorb the meat juices better.SERVES 6

---

SWEET-AND-SOUR TOMATO SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped (about 2 cups; canned tomatoes are acceptable)

2 tablespoons honey

1 cup dry red wine

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Juice of 2 lemons

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

MEAT LOAF

1½ pounds ground beef (not too lean)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup fresh bread crumbs, soaked in water and squeezed dry, or matzo meal, or more as needed to bind

1 yellow onion, grated or finely minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

---

3 Long-Cooked Onion Skin Eggs (page 93) or hard-boiled eggs, peeled

---

To make the sauce, warm 1 tablespoon of the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the honey and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are reduced to a purée, about 20 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until the sauce thickens. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon each oil and honey and the cinnamon and simmer for a few more minutes to blend the flavors. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and reserve.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a sheet pan.

To make the meat loaf, in a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, and basil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. If the meat mixture feels too wet to hold together, add more bread crumbs to give it structure.

Pat half of the meat mixture into a flattened oval directly on the prepared pan. Arrange the eggs in a lengthwise row down the center. Cover with the remaining meat mixture and then smooth the surface, seal the seams well, and score the loaf with the tines of a fork.

Bake the meat loaf, basting from time to time with some of the sauce, until cooked through, 1 to 1¼ hours. Transfer the meat loaf to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Just before serving, gently reheat the remaining sauce. Slice the meat loaf and serve. Pass the sauce at the table.

Italian Egg-Stuffed Meat LoafPOLPETTONE DI CARNE

Here is the Italian version of the Greek meat loaf with sweet-and-sour tomato sauce on page 326. The ingredients differ, but the method is the same. The nutmeg or cinnamon is the Sephardic touch here. Iraqi cooks also make an egg-stuffed loaf, called “lady’s arm” (zand il khatoon), which is seasoned with cumin and with the heady spice mixture known as bahārāt. The meat mixture is patted flat onto oiled foil, the eggs are placed down the center, the mixture is rolled up into a log around the eggs, and the log is slid off the foil onto an oiled sheet pan, baked, and then served with tomato slices and herbs.SERVES 4 TO 6

---

1 pound ground beef (not too lean)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup fresh bread crumbs, soaked in beef broth or water and squeezed dry, or more as needed to bind

½ cup grated yellow onion

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

Few gratings of nutmeg or pinch of ground cinnamon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

½ cup diced roasted red bell pepper

3 tablespoons chopped Mediterranean-style black olives

½ cup tomato purée (optional)

Basic Tomato Sauce for serving (recipe follows)

---

To make the meat loaf, in a large bowl, combine the beef, egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. If the meat mixture feels too wet to hold together, add more bread crumbs to give it structure.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil a sheet pan. Pat half of the meat mixture into a flattened oval directly on the prepared pan. Arrange the eggs in a row lengthwise down the center. Distribute the red pepper and olives evenly around the eggs. Cover with the remaining meat mixture and then smooth the surface, seal the seams well, and score the loaf with the tines of a fork. If you like, spread the top of the loaf with the tomato purée.

Bake the meat loaf until cooked through, 1 to 1¼ hours. Transfer the meat loaf to a platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice the meat loaf and serve. Pass the sauce at the table.

Basic Tomato SauceSALSA DI POMODORO

Although this simple sauce is paired with the adjoining meat loaf, it can also be used with many other dishes, from pastas to stuffed vegetables to salt cod braises to other meat loaves and meatballs.MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

---

1 can (28 ounces) plum tomatoes, with their juices

½ cup tomato purée

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Pinch of sugar (optional)

---

Put the tomatoes and their juices in a food processor and process until finely chopped but not liquefied. Transfer to a heavy saucepan. Stir in the tomato purée and place over low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the oil and/or sugar to balance the flavors and serve warm. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Meatballs, Jewish StylePOLPETTE ALLA GIUDIA

Here is a classic recipe for meatballs from the Italian Jewish kitchen. As noted in the introduction to this section, cooked vegetables were often added to extend the number of portions, and three such suggestions for additions follow here. You can add onion to this mixture, but it is more often added only when a vegetable is included in the mixture.SERVES 4 TO 6

---

1 pound ground beef (not too lean)

1 egg, lightly beaten

¾ cup fresh bread crumbs, soaked in beef broth or water and squeezed dry

½ yellow onion, grated (optional)

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (optional)

¼ cup chopped fresh basil (optional)

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Few gratings of nutmeg or pinch of ground cinnamon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil for frying

2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce (above)

1 tablespoon sugar dissolved in 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

---

In a bowl, combine the beef, egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, parsley, and nutmeg and season with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. Shape a walnut-size ball of the mixture, fry until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Form the mixture into walnut-size balls.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Film the bottom of a large sauté pan with oil and warm over high heat. In batches, fry the meatballs, turning as necessary, until colored on the outside but undercooked in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking dish.

In a saucepan, warm the tomato sauce over medium heat and stir in the lemon zest, basil, and the sugar-vinegar mixture. Heat briefly to blend the flavors, then spoon the tomato sauce evenly over the meatballs.

Cover the dish with foil, place in the oven, and bake until the sauce is slightly thickened and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

VARIATION:

Turkish Meatballs (İzmir Köfte): Add ½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and sweet paprika to the meat mixture. Shape the meatballs as directed; then, before frying, coat with all-purpose flour, tapping off the excess. Combine the fried meatballs with the tomato sauce in a saucepan, add 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped, to the pan, and simmer the meatballs on the stove top until cooked through.

Vegetable Variations: To stretch the meat mixture, add one of the following:

1 large eggplant, roasted as directed in Master Recipe for Roasted Eggplant (page 27), peeled, pulp drained, and then mashed with minced garlic to taste, and 2 yellow onions, chopped and sautéed in olive oil until tender, mixed with 2 eggs

12 ounces zucchini, coarsely chopped, and 1 large yellow onion, chopped, sautéed together in olive oil until tender and mixed with 2 eggs

About 2 pounds leeks, white part only, chopped, cooked in water or olive oil until tender, and then chopped again and mixed with 2 eggs

Sephardic Leek and Meat FrittersALBÓNDIGAS DE PRASA

The classic combination of leeks and meat is associated with the far western Anatolian city of Izmir. The mixture can be thickened with bread crumbs or mashed potatoes, and I have given both options here. A similar Greek recipe by Nicholas Stavroulakis adds chopped huevos haminados and dill to the mixture, and another by Esin Eden adds cinnamon. I like both variations. Albóndigas de prasa kon muez, which appears in Sefarad Yemekleri, calls for grated walnuts. Pine nuts would be a nice touch, as well. Any leftover fritters can be reheated in tomato sauce.MAKES 36 TO 40 FRITTERS; SERVES 6 TO 8

---

3 pounds leeks (about 12 small, 8 medium, or 4 large)

1 pound ground beef (not too lean)

3 or 4 slices coarse country bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry (⅔ to ¾ cup), or 2 potatoes, boiled, drained, and mashed (about 1 cup)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1½ teaspoons salt

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 tablespoons grated walnuts (optional)

½ cup chopped fresh dill

2 Long-Cooked Onion Skin Eggs (page 93), peeled and chopped (optional)

Olive oil for frying

All-purpose flour or matzo meal for coating

Lemon wedges for serving

---

Use the white and only a little of the green of the leeks. Halve the leeks lengthwise, then cut crosswise ½ inch thick. You should have about 6 cups. Immerse in a sink filled with cold water, then lift out and drain. Boil the leeks in lightly salted water in a saucepan until very tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well, let cool, and squeeze dry. You should have about 2½ cups.

In a bowl, combine the leeks, beef, bread, beaten eggs, salt, cinnamon, pepper, walnuts, dill, and chopped eggs and knead with your hands until the mixture holds together well. Fry a nugget of the mixture until cooked through, then taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Form the mixture into balls about 1¼ inches in diameter. You can keep them round or you can flatten them a bit so they cook more quickly.

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a large sheet pan with paper towels. Pour the oil to a depth of 1½ inches into a large, deep sauté pan and heat to 350°F. While the oil is heating, spread some flour on a plate. One at a time, dip the balls in the flour, coating evenly and tapping off the excess. In batches, add the balls to the hot oil and fry, turning as needed, until golden and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to the towel-lined pan and keep warm in the oven until all the fritters are cooked. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle lightly with salt. Pass the lemon wedges at the table.

VARIATION:

Spinach Fritters from Izmir (Albóndigas de Espinaka): Omit the leeks. Cook 3 pounds spinach with just the rinsing water clinging to the leaves until wilted and tender, drain well, squeeze dry, and chop finely. Add the spinach to the meat mixture and use bread instead of potatoes. Shape the mixture as directed, then coat with flour, let stand briefly, and then coat with flour again. The mixture is fairly moist and the double coating of flour makes frying the fritters easier. Fry and serve as directed.

Oven Casserole of White Beans and Meat Loaf from TuscanyHAMIN TOSCANA DI FAGIOLI CON POLPETTONE

This Sabbath recipe pairs a classic Tuscan bean dish, fagioli all’uccelletto, with a typical ground meat mixture that is divided into two loaves, browned, and then cooked atop the beans, either in the oven or on the stove top. You can use the same mixture to make meatballs, shaping it into walnut-size balls, coating the balls with flour, browning them in oil, and then cooking them with the beans for about 10 minutes.SERVES 6

---

WHITE BEANS

1½ cups dried cannellini or other white beans

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced

3 or 4 fresh sage leaves

2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce (page 328)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

MEAT LOAVES

1 pound ground beef (not too lean)

1 or 2 eggs, lightly beaten

⅔ cup fresh bread crumbs or matzo meal

½ yellow onion, grated (optional)

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Few gratings of nutmeg or pinch of ground cinnamon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

---

All-purpose flour for coating

Olive oil for frying

Water, meat broth, or additional tomato sauce, if needed

---

To prepare the beans, pick over the beans, then place in a bowl, add water to cover, and let soak in the refrigerator overnight. Drain, rinse well, and transfer to a wide saucepan (choose an ovenproof pan if you will be baking the dish). Add water to cover by 2 inches and bring slowly to a boil over medium heat. Meanwhile, warm the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and sage and sauté for a few minutes to soften. Add the onion mixture to the beans along with the tomato sauce and season with salt and pepper. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and cook slowly until the beans are tender, about 1 hour. (The beans can be cooked to this point a day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat gently before continuing.)

Meanwhile, make and shape the meat loaves. In a bowl, combine the beef, 1 egg, bread crumbs, onion, parsley, nutmeg, 2 teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and mix well with your hands. Add the second egg if needed to bind. Shape the mixture into 2 oval meat loaves (or giant meatballs). Spread some flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Coat each loaf evenly with the seasoned flour, tapping off the excess.

Preheat the oven to 350°F if you will be cooking the dish in the oven. Pour the oil to a depth of ¼ inch into a large sauté pan and warm over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the meat loaves and brown well on all sides. Transfer the meat loaves to the beans, re-cover the pan, and place in the preheated oven or place over low heat on the stove top and cook until the meat loaves are cooked through, about 30 minutes longer. Check the amount of liquid; if the beans seem dry, add water as needed. The dish should be somewhat brothy.

Carefully remove the meat loaves from the pan and let them rest for about 10 minutes. Slice the meat loaves and serve with the beans.

Couscous with Meatballs, White Beans, and Greens from LivornoCUSCUSSÚ ALLA LIVORNESE

Geographical proximity is always a logical explanation for the migration of foods and recipes. Therefore, we might assume that the famous cuscussù of Trapani was carried to Sicily from North Africa, which was quite close by ship. But couscous traveled to Livorno with North African Jews in the 1270s. In fact, so many Jews from Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco settled in Livorno that the town was nicknamed Little Jerusalem. It is now safe to assume that all the couscous dishes in Italy—in Sicily, in Sardinia, where it took the form of fregula or casca, and in Liguria and Tuscany—came with the North African Jews. They used lamb, however, while the Italians substituted veal, beef, or fish, often in the form of little meatballs. Cuscussù was usually served on Friday nights, and the room-temperature leftovers were eaten at the Sabbath midday meal.

A cuscussù meal is quite a bit of work, but all of the parts can be prepared separately and then reheated at serving time. The vegetable stew is not unlike a North African vegetable tagine, and the meatballs are common in both an Italian Jewish cuscussù and in North Africa. This is a model Mediterranean meal, with grain as the base, lots of vegetables and beans, and meat as a flavor accent—economical and satisfying.SERVES 6 TO 8

---

Oven Casserole of White Beans and Meat Loaf from Tuscany (page 331)

1 cup chopped cooked vegetable (optional)

VEGETABLE STEW

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 cups drained chopped canned plum tomatoes

About 1½ cups meat broth for poaching meatballs (optional)

1 small head green cabbage, quartered, cored, and cut crosswise into narrow strips

1 head escarole, cored and cut into narrow strips

1 cup shelled English peas

3 small zucchini, diced

Water or meat broth to cover

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup chopped fresh mint or basil

---

Basic Couscous (page 158)

Spicy Squash Spread (page 37), optional

---

Cook the white beans and prepare the meat mixture as directed in the white beans and meat loaf recipe, adding the cooked vegetable to the meat mixture to extend it, if you like. Fry a nugget of the meat mixture and taste and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Shape the meat mixture into marble-size meatballs, cover, and refrigerate until needed. Set the beans aside or refrigerate if made a day in advance.

To make the vegetable stew, warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, 1 carrot, and 1 celery rib and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Add the remaining 2 carrots and 2 celery ribs along with the cabbage, escarole, peas, and zucchini and cook until all of the vegetables are almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add the water to barely cover and continue to simmer until tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in the mint.

To serve, prepare the couscous as directed. About 15 minutes before the couscous is ready, you can brown the meatballs as directed in the oven casserole recipe, or you can poach them gently in a little broth until cooked through. Reheat the beans, add the meatballs, and simmer together for 8 to 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

Place a mound of couscous in the center of a large platter. Top with the bean-and-meatball mixture and surround the couscous with the vegetable stew. Serve hot, accompanied with the squash condiment.

Sephardic Meatballs in Seven StylesALBÓNDIGAS

The Spanish word albóndiga comes from the Arabic al bundaq, meaning “round.” Köfte are Spanish albóndigas, or meatballs, but with a Turkish name. They are called keftika in the diminutive. Although the meat mixture is usually formed into balls, it can be shaped into oblongs or flattened patties, as well. Bread crumbs are the common binder, with matzo meal used during Passover. The versatile meatball is simple, and the sauce is the distinguishing feature of each version, as the seven sauces that follow illustrate.SERVES 4 TO 6

---

MEATBALLS

1 pound ground beef or lamb (not too lean)

2 slices coarse country bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry, or ¼ cup matzo meal

½ cup grated yellow onion

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 egg, lightly beaten

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

---

Olive oil for frying

Sauce of choice (recipes follow)

---

To make the meatballs, in a bowl, combine the meat, bread, onion, parsley, and egg, season with salt and pepper, and mix well with your hands. Shape a walnut-size ball of the mixture, fry until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Form the mixture into walnut-size balls or 2-inch-long oblong patties.

Film the bottom of a large sauté pan with oil and warm over high heat. In batches, fry the meatballs, turning as necessary, until lightly browned on all sides or until cooked through, depending on the selected sauce.

To make Meatballs in Sweet-and-Sour Sauce (Albóndigas al Buyor): Brown the meatballs as directed but do not cook through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Add olive oil to the pan as needed to total 2 tablespoons and warm over medium heat. Add 1 small yellow onion, minced, and 2 cloves garlic, minced, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, then season with salt and pepper and stir well. Add 1 tablespoon honey and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon and simmer until the tomatoes have broken down and a sauce has formed, about 15 minutes. Add water if needed to thin. Return the meatballs to the pan, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.

To make Meatballs with Egg and Lemon (Terbiyeli Köfte): Fry the meatballs as directed, cooking them through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a platter and keep warm. Add ½ cup water to the sauté pan and deglaze the pan over medium-high heat, stirring to dislodge any brown bits on the pan bottom. Dissolve 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour in 3 tablespoons water and gradually add to the pan, stirring constantly. In a bowl, beat together 2 eggs and the juice of 2 lemons until very frothy. Gradually whisk in about half of the hot pan juices to temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Pour the sauce over the meatballs. Garnish with chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.

To make Meatballs with Fruit (Erikli Köfte): This dish of Spanish origin dates to the fifteenth century and shows the Moorish influence on the food of the Andalusian Jews. Pit 25 tart plums and boil in water to cover until tender and the fruits have broken down to a sauce-like consistency, about 20 minutes. (Or use 25 pitted prunes or dried apricots, soaked in water to cover overnight, then cooked in their soaking water until tender and starting to break down.) Fry the meatballs as directed, cooking them through. Add the meatballs to the plum sauce along with a squeeze of lemon juice and simmer until the sauce has reduced.

To make Meatballs with Almond Sauce (Bademli Köfte): Fry the meatballs as directed but do not cook through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a plate. Add 1 cup water to the sauté pan and deglaze the pan over medium-high heat, stirring to dislodge any brown bits on the pan bottom. Add ½ cup ground almonds and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, turn down the heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes. Return the meatballs to the pan and simmer in the sauce until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Add water if needed to thin the sauce.

To make Meatballs with Walnut Sauce (Nogada): Increase the grated onion in the meat mixture to ¾ cup to stand up to the intensity of the walnuts. Fry the meatballs as directed but do not cook through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. Add ½ cup dry red wine to the sauté pan and deglaze the pan over medium-high heat, stirring to dislodge any brown bits on the pan bottom. Add ½ cup chopped walnuts, turn down the heat to medium, and simmer until the sauce thickens. Return the meatballs to the pan, turn down the heat to low, and simmer in the sauce until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

To make Meatballs with Braised Garlic (Köfte kon Ajo Sofrito): Fry the meatballs as directed but do not cook through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to a plate. In a large sauté pan or saucepan, combine the peeled cloves of 2 heads garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of 3 lemons, 1½ cups water, and a pinch of sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the garlic is tender, about 25 minutes. Add the meatballs to the pan and simmer in the sauce until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

To make Meatballs with Tahini (Köfte bil Tahini): This dish is Arabic in origin but has been adopted by the Israelis in a big way. Fry the meatballs as directed but do not cook through. Transfer to a baking dish and top with 2½ cups tahini sauce (page 112). Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream and the meatballs are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes. Top with toasted pine nuts.

Moroccan Meatball TagineKEFTA MKAOUARA

These tasty Moroccan meatballs are steamed in a fragrant tomato sauce. Traditionally, the meatballs are shaped and added directly to the sauce, but they can be browned first, if you like. For a more filling dish, you can add eggs to the dish just before serving. Serve with couscous.SERVES 4 TO 6

---

MEATBALLS

1 pound ground beef (not too lean)

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

2 teaspoons ground toasted cumin

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground toasted cumin

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons finely minced fresh cilantro

1 small yellow onion, grated or finely chopped (⅓ to ½ cup)

⅓ cup matzo meal, or ½ cup fresh bread crumbs, soaked in water and squeezed dry (optional)

1 egg, lightly beaten, if needed

---

All-purpose flour for coating (optional)

Pinch of cayenne pepper

½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, mint, or cilantro, or a mixture

2 cups Basic Tomato Sauce (page 328)

1 cup beef broth

---

1 or 2 eggs per person (optional)

---

To make the meatballs, in a bowl, combine the beef, paprika, cumin, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, parsley, cilantro, onion, and matzo meal and mix well with your hands. If the mixture does not adhere easily, add the egg to bind. Shape a 1-inch ball of the mixture, fry until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls.

To brown the meatballs, spread some flour on a plate. Coat the balls evenly with flour, tapping off the excess. Warm the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. In batches, add the balls and brown well on all sides. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

To make the sauce, warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, and parsley and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the tomato sauce and broth and bring to a simmer.

Place the meatballs on top of the sauce, cover the pan, and cook until the meatballs are cooked through, about 15 minutes. To add the eggs, crack them directly on top of the meatballs, re-cover the pan, and cook just until the whites are set and the yolks are done to your liking. Serve hot.

Meatballs with Saffron Sunset SauceLES BOULETTES SAUCE CREPUSCULE

The Arabic name for this dish, chems el aachi, means “setting sun.” The golden color of the sauce is reminiscent of a glorious sunset in Morocco. The grated potatoes help stretch the amount of meat needed to make people feel satisfied. Although the seasoning of the meat mixture is mild, the sauce has enough zip to give this dish a good, complex flavor. Interestingly, in Eat and Be Satisfied, John Cooper refers to a recipe for albóndigas in a saffron sauce that appeared in Libro novo, published in Venice in the mid-sixteenth century. It is obviously a dish that arrived in Venice with the Spanish Jews, though, of course, its origin is the Arab kitchen.SERVES 8

---

MEATBALLS

2 pounds ground beef (not too lean)

3 russet potatoes (about 1½ pounds), peeled and grated

2 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup fine dried bread crumbs or matzo meal

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground mace or freshly grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon saffron threads, finely crushed and steeped in ¼ cup hot water

SAUCE

¼ cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground toasted cumin

Pinch of cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon saffron threads, finely crushed and steeped in 4 tablespoons hot water

1 cup water or meat broth, or as needed

---

To make the meatballs, in a large bowl, combine the beef, potatoes, and eggs and mix well with your hands. Add the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, mace, and saffron infusion and mix well with your hands. Shape a walnut-size ball of the mixture, fry until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Form the mixture into walnut-size balls and set aside.

To make the sauce, warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cilantro, paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, and 2 tablespoons of the saffron infusion and cook, stirring, until the mixture turns yellow. Add the water, which should be at least ½ inch deep so the meatballs will steam; add more as needed. Add the meatballs, preferably in a single layer, cover, and simmer over low heat until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons saffron infusion and heat through. Taste and adjust the seasoning of the sauce. Serve hot.

Prune-Stuffed Persian Meatballs with Green HerbsKUFTEH-YE SABZI

The abundant use of green herbs (sabzi) is prevalent in the Persian kitchen, such as in the popular meat stew, ghormeh sabzi (page 299), and fish stew, ghormeh sabzi ba mahi (page 240). Here, the herbs are combined with large meatballs, or kufteh, a word derived from kubidan, which means “to pound.” The large meatballs might be stuffed with walnuts, dates, eggs, or prunes. These prune-stuffed meatballs are popular in the city of Tabriz, where they are made with the country’s prized golden dried plums. Serve with Persian Rice (page 149).SERVES 8

---

¼ cup yellow split peas, picked over and soaked in water to cover overnight or for at least a few hours

½ cup basmati rice, soaked in water to cover overnight or for at least a few hours and drained

1 pound ground lamb

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

½ cup chopped fresh garlic chives

½ cup chopped fresh tarragon

½ cup chopped fresh summer savory

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

8 pitted prunes, plus 4 extra if you want a sweeter sauce

1 large yellow onion, sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 cups water or broth

Juice of 1 lemon

Coarse country bread for serving

---

Drain the peas, rinse, place in a small saucepan, and add water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 20 minutes, adding the rice during the last 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.

In a bowl, combine the cooled peas and rice, lamb, eggs, cilantro, parsley, chives, tarragon, savory, salt, pepper, and turmeric and mix well with your hands. Form the mixture into 8 orange-size balls. Make a hollow in each ball, stuff with 1 prune, and close the meat around it.

Select a deep sauté pan or a Dutch oven large enough to hold the meatballs in a single layer, add the oil, and warm over medium-high heat. Add the onion slices and fry, turning as needed, until browned and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add the water, bring to a boil, turn down the heat to low, and carefully slide in the meatballs, one at a time. The meatballs should be covered with liquid; if they are not, add water as needed to cover. If you want the sauce to be sweeter, add the 4 extra prunes to the pan. Cover and simmer gently, rolling the meatballs a few times for even cooking, until they are cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Add the lemon juice during the last 15 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meatballs to individual soup bowls. If the sauce is thin, boil it until it is reduced to a good consistency, then spoon it over the meatballs and serve. Accompany with bread for sopping up the sauce.

Cumin-Flavored Meat Patties with Two SaucesKEFTA DE VIANDE AU CUMIN ET DEUX SAUCES

In Marrakech la Rouge, Hélène Gans Perez describes a Moroccan dish of meat patties served with onion jam, which inspired this recipe. These kefta are more like small burgers than meatballs. They can be round or flat, so I have provided both options. In a kosher kitchen, they are grilled until well-done, but you may prefer them medium-rare. You can also opt to fry them rather than grill them.

Some onion jams are seasoned with a mixture of sweet spices, such as ginger, mace, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves (page 362), but this is a simpler version, seasoned with only cinnamon and sugar. I have also included a spicy tomato-based sauce here, but you could also serve these meat patties with the Moroccan tomato conserve on page 372.SERVES 4

---

ONION JAM

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 pounds yellow onions, halved and sliced or chopped

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, or 2 tablespoons ras el hanout

¼ cup sugar or honey

1 teaspoon salt

SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

¼ cup raisins, plumped in hot water and drained

1½ cups tomato purée

1 or 2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Aleppo or Maras pepper flakes, or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Pinch of ground cinnamon

MEAT MIXTURE

1 pound ground beef or lamb (not too lean)

2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

---

Select the onion jam or tomato sauce. To make the onion jam, warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until translucent and very soft, about 15 minutes. Add the cinnamon, sugar, and salt, turn down the heat to low, and continue to cook and stir until the onions are the consistency of jam, 35 to 45 minutes. The mixture should be dark brown and taste aromatic and sweet. You should have 2½ to 3 cups. Serve warm.

To make the tomato sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes to blend the flavors. You should have about 1½ cups. Serve warm or at room temperature.

To make the meat mixture, in a bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well with your hands. Fry a small nugget of the mixture until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into oval patties. Alternatively, divide the mixture into 16 equal portions and shape the portions into balls around flat metal skewers.

Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill, then grill the patties or skewers, turning as needed, until cooked to desired doneness. If you do not want to fire up the grill, you can skip the skewers and fry the patties in a cast-iron frying or stove-top griddle filmed with a little oil. Serve hot, accompanied with the onion jam or spicy tomato sauce.

VARIATIONS:

Moroccan: Combine 1 pound ground beef or lamb; 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped; 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint; 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and sweet paprika; 1½ teaspoons salt; and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and mix well with your hands. Shape into patties and grill as directed. Serve with harissa, homemade (page 355) or store-bought.

Syrian: Combine 1 pound ground beef, ½ cup finely minced yellow onion, 6 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, 3 eggs, ¼ cup fine dried bread crumbs, 1½ teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, and ½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and freshly ground black pepper. Shape into small patties, fry in olive oil, and serve with pita bread and the spicy tomato sauce.

Greek From Rhodes: Substitute 1 teaspoon bahārāt for the cumin in the meat mixture. Shape into patties and grill as directed. Serve with spicy tomato sauce.

My Lamb Kefta “Burger”: Combine 1 pound ground lamb; ½ yellow onion, grated; 3 cloves garlic, minced; ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; 1 teaspoon each salt, Aleppo or Maras pepper flakes, ground cumin, and smoked or sweet paprika; ½ teaspoon each freshly ground black pepper and ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon ground ginger; and pinch of cayenne pepper. Shape into patties, grill or fry in olive oil, and serve in pita bread with Moroccan-Inspired Sweet-and-Hot Tomato Conserve (page 372).

Meat-Stuffed Grape LeavesYAPRAKES

Unlike rice-filled grape leaves, which usually appear as part of a meze assortment, these meat-stuffed leaves, also known as ojas de parra and dolmas, are typically served as a main course. In Sephardic kitchens in Greece and Turkey, they are often paired with an egg-and-lemon sauce (see variation). The same filling can be used to stuff vegetables (recipe follows).SERVES 6 TO 8

---

FILLING

¼ cup olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup pine nuts, toasted

½ cup dried currants, plumped in hot water and drained

1 pound ground lamb or beef (not too lean)

1 cup water

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ to 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed, soaked in water to cover for 1 hour, and drained

---

40 to 50 brine-packed grape leaves, well rinsed and patted dry

1½ cups extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Juice of 1 to 2 lemons

---

To make the filling, warm the oil in a very large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, salt, allspice, pepper, cinnamon, pine nuts, and currants and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the meat and cook, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil, add the rice, and cook for 5 minutes. Drain the rice, add to the meat mixture, mix well, and let the filling cool.

In batches, lay the grape leaves, smooth side up, on a work surface. Snip off the stems with scissors. To stuff each leaf, place a generous teaspoon or so of the mixture near the stem end of a leaf. Fold the stem end over the filling, fold in the sides, and roll up into a cylinder. Do not roll too tightly, as the rice will expand during cooking. Repeat until all of the filling is used.

Select a wide saucepan or a deep, wide sauté pan large enough to hold the stuffed leaves in a single layer. If you have extra leaves, use them to line the bottom of the pan, as they will help prevent the stuffed leaves from sticking. Place the stuffed leaves, seam side down and close to one another, in the pan. Pour in the oil, the lemon juice to taste, and enough very hot water just to cover the stuffed leaves. Top with a heavy ovenproof plate just slightly smaller than the diameter of the pan to prevent the stuffed leaves from moving. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes. (Alternatively, transfer the covered pan to a preheated 350°F oven for about 45 minutes.)

Remove from the heat, uncover, and remove the plate. Most of the liquid will have been absorbed by the rice. Let the stuffed leaves rest for 5 minutes, then, using a spatula, carefully transfer them to a platter. (If you will be making the egg-and-lemon sauce variation, reserve about 1 cup of the pan juices.) Drizzle with oil and serve.

VARIATIONS:

Persian Variation with Herbs: Add ½ cup cooked yellow split peas and 3 cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, cilantro, dill, mint, marjoram, and tarragon, in any combination, to the meat and rice mixture.

Syrian Variation with Apricots: Tuck 12 to 14 dried apricots among the stuffed grape leaves before topping with the ovenproof plate and then cook as directed. Serve with the pan juices seasoned with a generous measure of fresh lemon juice and tamarind extract.

Greek and Turkish Variation with Egg-and-Lemon Sauce: Reserve 1 cup of the hot pan juices. In a bowl, beat together 2 whole eggs or 3 egg yolks and the juice of 2 small lemons (4 to 5 tablespoons) until very frothy. Gradually whisk in about half of the hot pan juices to temper the eggs. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Spoon over the stuffed grape leaves.

Meat-Stuffed VegetablesREYNADAS

Also known as rellenos and as legumbres yenos de karne, these stuffed vegetables use the same fillings as the Meat-Stuffed Grape Leaves. If you are using an assortment of vegetables, select those of a similar size for a nice visual presentation.

---

About 4 pounds tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini, onions, or eggplants, or a mixture

Filling for Meat-Stuffed Grape Leaves (page 340)

---

Select a vegetable or an assortment of vegetables to stuff and ready them for stuffing as directed. You need to ready the vegetables first, as the pulp removed from some of them is added to the filling. Then, make the filling as directed, let cool, and stuff and bake the vegetables as directed.

To make stuffed tomatoes (reynadas de tomat): Cut off the tops of ripe tomatoes (about 12) and scoop out the pulp. Reserve the pulp, all of the juices, and the tops. Sprinkle the inside of each tomato with salt and a little sugar. Set aside. Put the tomato pulp in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Add to the filling. Stuff the filling into the tomatoes. Do not pack the filling too tightly, as the rice will expand. Place the tomatoes in a baking dish and replace the tops. Pour about ⅓ cup hot water into the dish and spoon ½ cup olive oil over the tomatoes. Bake, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until the filling is heated through and the tomatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

To make stuffed bell peppers (reynadas de pipirushkas): Cut off the stem ends of the bell peppers and remove and discard the seeds and any thick ribs. Parboil the shells in boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes, then drain, stuff, and bake as for the tomatoes. Serve warm.

To make stuffed zucchini (kalavasas yenas de karne): Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. If the zucchini are large, using a small melon baller, scoop out and discard the seeds from each half to make a good-size hollow. If using small zucchini, you may need to enlarge the hollow by cutting out some of the pulp, as well. Chop any pulp you remove and sauté it with the onion for the filling. Parboil the shells in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain, stuff, and bake as directed for the tomatoes. Serve warm.

To make stuffed onions (reynadas de sevoya): Bring a large saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add large yellow onions and boil until tender but not soft, about 10 minutes. Drain the onions, let cool until they can be handled, and cut in half crosswise. Scoop out part of the center from each half to make a cavity. Chop the removed onion and use it in the filling. Stuff and bake the onion halves as directed for the tomatoes, reducing the cooking time to about 20 minutes, or until the onions are golden. Serve warm.

To make stuffed eggplants (kucaras de berenjena): Halve the eggplants lengthwise and scoop out some of the pulp to make a shell. Chop the pulp, discarding as many seeds as possible, and sauté the pulp with the onion for the filling. Fry the eggplant cases in olive oil for about 5 minutes to soften. Stuff with the filling and bake as directed for the tomatoes. Serve warm.

If you are serving the stuffed vegetables warm, you may want to accompany them with an egg-and-lemon sauce. Follow the directions in the Greek and Turkish Variation with Egg-and-Lemon Sauce that follows the stuffed grape leaves recipe, using 1 cup hot broth for the pan juices.

VARIATION:

Persian Meat-Stuffed Quince (Dolmeh Beh): You can use the same filling to stuff 6 quinces (or 12 apples). Rub the fuzz off of the quinces and rinse well. Tradition calls for cutting off the top of each quince and scooping out the core and flesh with a sharp melon baller, leaving a shell ½ to ¾ inch thick. But that’s hard to do because quinces are so tough. My solution is to bake the fruits whole in a preheated 325°F oven until they feel soft, 1 to 1¼ hours. You can then cut them in half through the stem end or cut off the top and easily scoop out the flesh, leaving a shell ¾ inch thick. Spoon the filling into the quinces and place in a baking pan. Stir together 1 cup water, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, dissolving the sugar, and add the mixture to the pan. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the quinces are tender, 40 to 60 minutes if you prebaked them and 1½ hours if you have stuffed them without prebaking them. The timing will depend on the size and ripeness of the fruits. Serve warm.

Braised Meat-Stuffed ArtichokesRAGOÛT D’ARTICHAUTS FARCIS

Braised artichokes stuffed with ground meat are popular throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Léone Jaffin’s Algerian recipe adds peas and pearl onions for a very pretty presentation, which I have added here. Some cooks use mashed potato instead of the rice for binding the meat filling. Serve the artichokes with fresh noodles or saffron rice pilaf, or with potatoes during Passover.SERVES 8

---

Juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 lemon, halved

8 medium artichokes

1 pound ground beef (not too lean)

¼ cup basmati rice, rinsed, soaked in water to cover for 30 minutes, and drained

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Spice of choice: 1 teaspoon ground allspice for Arabic version, 1 teaspoon bahārāt for Persian version, 1 teaspoon ground cumin for Moroccan version, or 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and allspice for Syrian version

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 tablespoons peanut oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 to 16 pearl onions, peeled

1½ to 2 cups water

Pinch of saffron threads

1 bay leaf

2½ pounds English peas, shelled (about 2¼ cups shelled)

Pinch of sugar (optional)

---

Have ready a large bowl of water to which you have added the lemon juice. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, trim off the stem flush with the bottom, then remove all of the leaves until you reach the heart. Remove and discard the choke with a small pointed spoon or a paring knife. Pare away the dark green areas from the base, rub the cut areas of the artichoke heart with the cut lemon, and slip the heart into the lemon water.

To make the filling, in a bowl, combine the beef, rice, garlic, parsley, spice of choice, egg, and 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. Fry a small nugget of the mixture until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each portion into a ball. Drain the artichoke hearts, pat dry, and stuff each heart with a ball.

Select a saucepan wide enough to hold all of the artichokes in a single layer. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and warm over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until they take on a bit of color, 5 to 8 minutes. Add 1½ cups of the water along with the saffron, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt. When the water comes to a boil, add the artichoke hearts, base down. The water should be about ½ inch deep; if it isn’t, add the remaining water. Turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the peas and the sugar to the pan juices and continue to cook until the artichokes and the peas are tender and the stuffing is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Serve warm.

VARIATIONS:

Persian Variation: Season the meat filling with 1 teaspoon bahārāt, then stuff the artichoke hearts as directed and place them in a baking dish along with a simple tomato sauce (page 328) flavored with lots of fresh lemon juice. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the artichokes are tender and the stuffing is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Syrian Variation: Season the meat filling with 1 teaspoon each ground cinnamon and allspice, then stuff the artichoke hearts as directed and place them in a baking dish along with a simple tomato sauce (page 328) flavored with lots of fresh lemon juice and seasoned to taste with tamarind extract, ground cinnamon, and allspice. Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the artichokes are tender and the stuffing is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Egyptian Meat-Stuffed Artichoke HeartsKHARSHOUF MAHSHI

Egyptian cooks stuff artichokes with a mixture of meat, onion, pine nuts, seasonings, and an egg but no rice or bread to bind.SERVES 8

---

Juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 lemon, halved

8 medium artichokes

1 pound ground beef (not too lean)

½ cup grated yellow onion, plus 2 yellow onions, sliced

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

¼ cup pine nuts

1 egg, lightly beaten

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 or 4 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 cups beef broth, plus more if needed

Fresh lemon juice for serving

---

Have ready a large bowl of water to which you have added the lemon juice. Working with 1 artichoke at a time, trim off the stem flush with the bottom, then remove all of the leaves until you reach the heart. Remove and discard the choke with a small pointed spoon or a paring knife. Pare away the dark green areas from the base, rub the cut areas of the artichoke heart with the cut lemon, and slip the heart into the lemon water.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

To make the filling, in a bowl, combine the beef, grated onion, parsley, cinnamon, allspice, pine nuts, and egg and season with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. Fry a small nugget of the mixture until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape each portion into a ball. Drain the artichoke hearts, pat dry, and stuff each heart with a ball.

Arrange the stuffed artichoke hearts, base down, in a baking dish and surround them with the onion slices and carrots. Add enough broth to come halfway up the sides of the artichokes. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the artichokes are tender and the filling is cooked through, about 30 minutes. (Alternatively, assemble the artichoke hearts, onion slices and carrots, and broth in a deep sauté pan or wide saucepan, cover, and simmer over low heat on the stove top for about 40 minutes.) Just before serving, brighten the dish with a bit of lemon juice. Serve warm.

Lebanese Meat-Stuffed Squash with Apricot SauceKRA’A

This is an ideal dish for the Rosh Hashanah table. The sweetness of the New Year is echoed in the sweetness of the apricots. There are three ways to stuff zucchini. The most difficult way is to keep them whole and hollow them out with an apple corer. Some Moroccan cooks peel large zucchini in a striped pattern, cut off the ends, cut the zucchini crosswise into 1½- to 2-inch lengths, and then scoop out the pulp, leaving a shell about ⅓ inch thick. I find the third way the easiest: halve the zucchini lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pulp with a small melon baller.SERVES 6

---

12 medium zucchini

1 pound ground beef (not too lean)

½ to 1 cup long-grain white rice, preferably basmati, rinsed, soaked in water to cover for 1 hour, and drained

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice

Salt

2½ cups plus 2 tablespoons water

1 cup dried apricots, soaked in hot water to cover

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons tamarind paste dissolved in ¼ cup water, or 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

---

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp with a small melon baller, discarding the seeds and reserving the pulp. Chop the pulp.

In a bowl, combine the beef, rice, cinnamon, allspice, the reserved squash pulp, 1 teaspoon salt, and the 2 tablespoons water and mix well with your hands. Fry a small nugget of the mixture until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Stuff the mixture into the zucchini shells. If you have leftover meat mixture, shape it into marble-size balls.

Arrange the stuffed zucchini in a single layer in a wide saucepan. Dissolve ½ teaspoon salt in the remaining 2½ cups water and add the water to the pan. If you have made meatballs from leftover filling, tuck them in among the zucchini. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat, turn down the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

In a separate saucepan, combine the apricots and their soaking water, the lemon juice, sugar, and tamarind paste, bring to a simmer over medium heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. When the zucchini has cooked for 15 minutes, add the apricot mixture to the pan, re-cover, and cook over low heat until the zucchini is tender and the apricots have formed a sauce. This might take 30 to 40 minutes. Check from time to time to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan and add water if needed. Serve warm.

VARIATION:

Syrian Meat-Stuffed Squash with Tomato (Mahshi Koosa): Add 1 cup tomato purée to the apricot sauce.

Meat-Filled Cabbage Leaves Cooked with FruitDOLMAYANI

These cabbage rolls from Sefarad Yemekleri, published in Istanbul, are part of a large repertoire of Sephardic dolmas. This recipe is particularly interesting because of the delicious sweet-and-sour sauce that forms after cooking the cabbage packets with seasonal fruit—quinces in fall or winter and plums in summer.SERVES 6

---

1 large head green cabbage

1 pound ground beef or lamb (not too lean)

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

½ cup long-grain white rice, rinsed, soaked in water to cover for 30 minutes, and drained

2 yellow onions, grated

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 or 3 quinces, or 1 pound small plums (about 8)

Juice of 4 lemons (about 1 cup)

1 cup tomato juice

---

Bring a large pot two-thirds full of salted water to a boil. Cut out the core of the cabbage with a sharp knife. Slip the cabbage into the water, reduce the heat so the water simmers, and cook until the cabbage leaves soften, about 10 minutes. Drain the cabbage carefully and remove the outer large leaves. You should have 12 to 16 leaves. Reserve the remaining cabbage for another use.

In a bowl, combine the meat, parsley, dill, rice, onions, salt, and pepper. Mix well with your hands. Fry a small nugget of the mixture until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed.

Spread the cabbage leaves out on a work surface. Place a few tablespoons of the meat mixture on the center of a leaf, fold over the top, fold in the sides, and then fold up the bottom part of the leaf, making a dolma-like packet. Skewer closed with toothpicks. Repeat until all of the filling is used.

If using the quinces, peel, halve, and core them, then cut into ½-inch-thick slices or into ½-inch dice. If using plums, halve or quarter them, discarding the pits.

Place the cabbage packets, seam side down, in a single layer in a large, wide pot or saucepan. Top with the fruit. (If all of the packets will not fit in a single layer, arrange as many as will fit, top with some of the fruit, and then repeat the layers as needed.) Add the lemon juice and tomato juice to the pan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cover and simmer until tender, 1 to 1½ hours. (Alternatively, place the covered pot in a preheated 300°F oven for 1 to 1½ hours.) Taste the pan juices and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve hot.

Meat-Stuffed Baked PotatoesPATATAS KAVAKADAS

This recipe from Sefarad Yemekleri uses uncooked boiling potatoes as the shell for a savory meat filling. I have suggested the addition of a little grated onion because it adds a depth of flavor and plays off the starchiness of the potatoes. Although not traditional, swirling a little tomato sauce into the pan juices just before serving is a tasty addition.SERVES 8

---

3 pounds boiling potatoes (about 8 large)

1 pound ground beef or lamb (not too lean)

2 slices coarse country bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry (about ½ cup)

½ small yellow onion, grated

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sunflower oil for frying

1½ cups all-purpose flour

3 eggs

1½ to 2 cups beef broth

---

Peel the potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. With a small melon baller or a small, sharp knife, scoop or carve a pocket out of the center of each potato half, leaving an outer shell about ⅓ inch thick.

In a bowl, combine the meat, bread, onion, parsley, 1½ teaspoons salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and mix well with your hands. Fry a small nugget of the mixture until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Fill the potatoes with the mixture.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pour the oil to a depth of 1 inch into a deep, heavy sauté pan and warm over medium heat. While the oil is heating, put the flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. In a second bowl, whisk the eggs until blended.

In batches, dip the potatoes in the seasoned flour, coating them evenly and tapping off the excess, and then in the eggs, allowing the excess to drip off, and slip them into the hot oil. Fry, turning as needed, until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to paper towels to drain briefly, then arrange, filling side up, in a baking dish.

Add the broth to a depth of about 1 inch to the baking dish. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt and pepper, cover the dish with foil, and bake until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Baked Layered KibbehKIBBEH BIL SANIYEH

Traditionally kibbeh are little football-shaped croquettes made from a mixture of bulgur, meat, and onions and stuffed with a meat mixture. They are time-consuming and require practice to get right. If they are not perfectly kneaded and formed, they can explode when they are fried. This recipe, which is a traditional Lebanese dish that is also popular in Israel, is the way to get the taste of kibbeh in an easier and equally traditional format, bil saniyeh, or “on a tray.”SERVES 6 TO 8

---

FILLING

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, finely chopped

1½ pounds ground lamb or beef (not too lean)

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

½ teaspoon ground allspice (optional)

Salt

¼ to ½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

KIBBEH

2 cups fine-grind bulgur

1 pound lean ground lamb or beef

2 yellow onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Up to ½ cup water

---

½ cup margarine, melted

---

To make the filling, warm the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the meat and cook, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Add the pepper, cinnamon, and allspice and season with salt. Fold in the pine nuts and set aside.

To make the kibbeh, soak the bulgur in salted water to cover for 15 minutes. Drain, transfer to a bowl, and add the meat, onions, cumin, salt, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, and cinnamon. Mix well with your hands, gradually adding the water as needed to form a paste. Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to mix, gradually adding the water as needed to form a paste.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease a 9-by-12-by-2-inch baking pan with margarine or oil. Place half of the kibbeh mixture on the bottom of the dish, spreading it evenly and patting it down. Spread the meat filling over the kibbeh layer, then top with the remaining kibbeh mixture, smoothing the surface. Pat down again to remove any air pockets. Using a sharp knife, score the layers into diamonds as if scoring baklava, cutting down to the bottom of the pan, and then run the knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the sides. Pour the margarine evenly over the top.

Bake until the top is golden and crusty, 45 to 55 minutes. If the dish is ovenproof, you can also brown the top under the broiler for added color and crunch. Serve hot.

Beef SausageLUGANEGA

Forbidden to eat pork, Italian Jews developed a sausage made from beef, which they flavored with sweet spices, revealing an Arabic influence. The flavorful mixture can be stuffed into well-rinsed beef sausage casings purchased from your butcher, but it is just as easy to shape the mixture into long sausages, wrap in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 5 to 6 days. When you need some sausage, you can just cut off the amount needed. You can also shape this mixture into patties or meatballs for cooking. This recipe is based on a description from La cucina veneziana by Giuseppe Maffioli, and it is used for the meatballs in Venetian Bean Soup with Pasta and Meatballs (page 121).SERVES 8 TO 10

---

2½ pounds beef shoulder meat with ample fat, finely ground

6 to 8 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 eggs, lightly beaten, if making patties or meatballs

Olive oil for frying

---

In a bowl, combine the beef, garlic, wine, salt, ground pepper, cracked peppercorns, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg and mix well with your hands. Fry a small nugget of the mixture until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Divide the mixture into 2 or 3 equal portions and shape each portion into a sausage about 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap each sausage well in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate.

To cook this mixture as patties or meatballs, mix as directed, then work in the eggs to bind and shape into patties or meatballs. Warm a little oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the patties or meatballs, and fry, turning as needed, until golden and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. The timing will depend on the thickness of the patties or the size of the meatballs.

If you have stored sausages in the refrigerator, slice off lengths as needed and fry in a little oil until golden and cooked through.

Spicy Algerian SausageMERGUEZ

The meat for merguez should not be too lean. It needs fat if it is to remain juicy. These sausages are usually broiled or grilled. Cooks in Tunisia use fewer spices and mince the cloves of almost a head of garlic and add them to the mixture.MAKES 12 TO 18 SAUSAGES

---

2 pounds ground lamb

8 ounces beef fat, ground

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground caraway (optional)

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste

2 teaspoons salt

¼ cup olive oil

Lamb casings, well rinsed (optional)

---

In a bowl, combine the lamb, beef fat, coriander, cumin, caraway, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, salt, and oil and mix well with your hands. Fry a small nugget of the mixture until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Stuff the mixture into lamb casings and tie off into 3- or 4-inch lengths, or shape into patties.

Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. If cooking sausages, prick them a couple of times so they do not split. Grill the sausages or patties, turning as needed, until cooked through but still juicy.

Tunisian Meat SausageOSBANE

This mixture is traditionally stuffed into beef intestine or stomach lining (kishka), but you can shape it into a sausage, wrap it in cheesecloth, and secure the ends with kitchen string. Daisy Taieb omits tripe from her version and suggests that the osbane go into the t’fina pkaila (page 298) after an hour of cooking. If you decide to omit the tripe, double the amount of ground beef. Accompany the sausage with braised lentils or a salad, or add it to msoki (page 313) or to la loubia (page 297).SERVES 6

---

8 ounces ground beef, or 1 pound ground beef if not using tripe

7 ounces veal honeycomb tripe, blanched in salted water and cut into small cubes (optional)

2 yellow onions, chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

¼ cup long-grain white rice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon harissa, homemade (page 355) or store-bought

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

8 ounces spinach, stemmed and chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1 rib celery, halved

---

In a large bowl, combine the beef, tripe, onions, garlic, cilantro, mint, spinach, coriander, egg, rice, oil, and harissa and season with salt and pepper. Mix well with your hands. Fry a small nugget of the mixture until cooked through, taste, and adjust the seasoning of the remaining mixture if needed. Form the mixture into a sausage shape about 12 inches long and 3½ inches in diameter, wrap in cheesecloth, and tie both ends with kitchen string.

Fill a wide saucepan with salted water to a depth of at least 6 inches. Add the bay leaf and celery and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn down the heat to a simmer, add the sausage, and poach for 1 hour.

Remove the pan from the heat, carefully remove the sausage from the water, and discard the water. Let cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled, 1 to 2 hours. To serve, unwrap and cut into slices.

VARIATION:

To make tebaria, a similar sausage from neighboring Algeria, add 2 carrots, peeled and diced, to the meat mixture and then shape the mixture around a center of hard-boiled eggs.