French Onion Brisket (Meat)

SERVES: 10-12
PREP TIME: 20 minutes, plus cooling time and overnight chilling
COOK TIME: 3 hours 40 minutes A play on French onion soup using tons of caramelized onion and herbs to braise a seared brisket until super tender and full of umami with a hint of sweetness. All items are kosher for Passover.

Ingredients

• 1 (5- to 6-pound) beef brisket, fat cap
  intact

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black
  pepper

• 3 Tbsp. Vegetable oil

• 5 large sweet onions, thinly sliced

• 12 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

• 1 cup Calvados or sherry

• 3 cups chicken stock

• 6 sprigs thyme

• 4 sprigs sage

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Season each side of the brisket with 2 heavy pinches each of salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sear the brisket, turning it as needed, until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the brisket to a platter.

Reduce the heat to medium; then add the onions and garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until softened and caramelized, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add the Calvados, then stir continuously with a wooden spoon for 1 minute to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.

Stir in the stock and 2 heavy pinches each of salt and pepper, then return the brisket to the pot. Tie together the thyme and sage sprigs with a small piece of butcher’s twine (tying is optional, but makes it much easier to remove the herbs after cooking) and nestle the herb bundle in the pot. Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Cook for 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes, until very tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

The next day, skim off and discard any fat, if desired, and discard the herbs. Transfer the brisket to a cutting board and cut it across the grain (perpendicular to the fibers you’ll see running through the brisket) into ¼- inch-thick slices. Return the meat to the sauce and heat over medium heat until warmed through.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, then serve.

Excerpted from JEW-ISH: A COOKBOOK: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch ©2021 by Jake Cohen.

Roasted Asparagus with Almonds

(From Food & Wine)

Ingredients

• 1 pound thick asparagus, trimmed

• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

How to Make It

Preheat the oven to 425°. On a baking sheet, toss the asparagus and garlic with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the center of the oven for about 18 minutes, until the asparagus is tender and charred in spots. Transfer to a plate, top with toasted almonds and serve.

Ruth Reichl's Matzo Brei

(From epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

• 4 matzos

• 4 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste

• 3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter

Preparation

Crumble matzos into a large sieve placed over a bowl to catch crumbs, then hold sieve under running cold water until matzos are moist and softened but not completely disintegrated, about 15 seconds. Transfer to bowl with crumbs, then add eggs and salt and mix gently with a fork.

Heat butter in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides. Add matzo mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until eggs are scrambled and matzo has begun to crisp, about 3 minutes.

Coconut "Macaroonies"

(From Saveur)

Ingredients

• 8 oz. high quality white chocolate

• 1 cup coconut oil

• 1 1⁄2 cups (10 1⁄2 oz.) sugar

• 1 tsp. coconut extract

• 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt

• 6 egg whites, lightly beaten

• 1 1⁄2 cups coconut flour

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350° and spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with nonstick baking spray then line the bottom with parchment paper. Place the white chocolate in a large bowl and pour the coconut oil into a glass measuring cup. Microwave the coconut oil until it’s hot to the touch, then pour it over the chocolate and let stand for 1 minute. Using a whisk, slowly stir the chocolate and oil together until smooth.

Add the sugar, coconut and vanilla extracts, salt, and egg whites and stir until well mixed. Add the coconut flour and stir until just combined. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake until golden brown and set, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and let cool completely. Unmold the macaroonies from the pan, discard the parchment paper, and cut into 12 bars to serve.