Place the chicken in a saucepan. Add all of its ingredients. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes. When ready, remove the chicken from the saucepan and place in a bowl. Let cool. Remove the bones and skin. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Using a sieve, strain the liquid and reserve. Dice the cooked vegetables into small pieces and set aside.
Prepare the pilaf:
In a large saucepan melt 1/4 of the butter. Sweat the onions and red bell pepper over medium heat until tender, approximately 10 minutes. When they are tender, add the almonds and fry for 3 minutes. Add the spices, salt and pepper and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir for 4 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and 750 ml of the chicken cooking liquid. Add water if necessary. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave covered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes mix in the diced vegetables and let cool.
Prepare the pastry:
Preheat the oven to 180í C.
Melt the rest of the butter. Place a kitchen towel on a work surface. Place the phyllo on the towel and cover with a damp towel. [Cut half of the phyllo sheets to the diameter of the baking dish.] Cut the other half 12 cm larger than the diameter of the baking dish. Brush the baking dish with butter. [Line the dish with 6 phyllo sheets. Gently brush each sheet with butter before placing it in the dish. Spoon the cold chicken pilaf over the phyllo sheets and press down.] Place the phyllo sheets over the pilaf. Fold the hanging dough around the inside edge of the pan to form a shell. Gently brush the phyllo with the rest of the butter. [Score the pastry according to the way you want to serve it.] Bake until golden brown, approximately 25 minutes. Transfer to a plate and serve hot or warm.
!! 13 Kebab with Tomato and Yogurt Sauce
Prepare the meat:
Place the stale bread in a bowl. Add water or milk to cover and leave for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze out the liquid. Combine the bread, meat, onion and cumin in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Mix well. Add the egg and mix, with a fork or your hands, until it turns into a light mixture. Mix in the chopped parsley. [Form sausage shaped patties.] Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour (up to 6 hours).
Prepare the yogurt sauce:
Drain the yogurt. [Line a sieve with cheesecloth.] Put the yogurt and the salt in the sieve. Leave to drain for at least 30 minutes (up to 24 hours). This process is optional. You can also use the yogurt as is; simply sprinkle it with some salt.
Prepare the tomato sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the sauce ingredients, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook, while stirring, until the sauce becomes thick. Set aside.
Prepare the kebabs:
Heat a charcoal grill or heavy frying pan to medium heat. Place the meat on skewers and grill. While grilling, reheat the tomato sauce and warm the pita bread. Serve hot with pita bread and both sauces on the side.
!! 14 Eggplant Pilaf - Patlicanci Pilaf
[Dice the eggplant] into 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 cm cubes. Place the eggplant in a colander, mix with salt and let drain for 30 minutes. Wash the rice until the water running through it is no longer cloudy. Set aside. Rinse the eggplants under running water. Let dry.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy saucepan and fry the eggplants until golden. Remove the eggplant from the pan. Fry the onion and garlic in the same oil. If necessary, add some more oil. After a few minutes, stir in the eggplant.
Spread the rice over the eggplant, onion and garlic and then cover with the chopped tomatoes. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper. Add the chicken stock, or water, and bring to a boil. Do not stir. Cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave covered 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot with chopped parsley and yogurt.
!! 15 Stuffed Leek Leaves
Trim the leeks. [Cut the leeks into finger long pieces. Make a slit along one side of the leek through to the center, then separate the leaves.]
Fry the onion in a little olive oil until tender. Let the onions cool a little and then combine them with the rest of the stuffing ingredients. Mix well.
Place a leek leaf on a work surface. Spread about 1/2 tablespoon of stuffing in the center of the leek. [Roll the leaf up tightly, like a cigar. Secure the roll by skewering it with a toothpick.] Put the rolls in a saucepan. Add the sauce ingredients then add water until the cooking liquid is 1-2 cm deep. Bring to a boil then cover and simmer for 45 minutes. If necessary, add more water during cooking to prevent the leaves from drying out. When done, the leeks should be very soft. Serve hot with white rice.
!! 16 Apricots Stuffed with Almond Paste
Stone the apricots but do not cut them in half. Place the apricots in one layer in the bottom of a saucepan. Add the lemon juice, cinnamon stick and sugar. Then simmer over low heat for 4-5 minutes. The apricots will release juices but should keep their shape. (Add 180 ml of water if using dry apricots). Let the apricots cool in the syrup.
Combine the almonds, caster sugar and rose or orange water in a food processor and [work into a coarse paste.] Carefully remove the apricots from the syrup and gently fill them with the almond paste. Serve cold with the syrup.
!! 17 Cheese Stuffed Peppers
Wash the bell peppers and then make small incisions on the stem side. Bring plenty of salted water to a boil and then simmer the peppers until tender, approximately 5-7 minutes. Remove the peppers with a slotted spoon, drain and set aside to cool.
While the peppers are cooking, fry the onions in a little olive oil until soft. Add the olives and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Let the mixture cool.
In a bowl, mash the cheese. Add the eggs, lemon juice and oregano. Season to taste with freshly ground pepper. Add the onion and olive mixture, including the cooking liquid. If the mixture is too soft, add some flour.
Core and carefully seed the peppers. [Stuff the peppers,] being careful not to break or puncture them.
Place the peppers in a baking dish, making sure to pack them very tightly. Brush the tops with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap then place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. (The peppers can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance).
Heat the broiler. Place the baking dish in the middle of the oven and broil the peppers until they start to blacken, approximately 5 minutes. Turn the peppers over, brush with the remaining olive oil, and broil for another 5 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
!! 18 Hamin - Cholent
Stuffed Kishke:
In a bowl, mix and knead together the semolina and chicken or goose fat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff the intestines with the mixture, and tie both ends closed with kitchen string. Boil water in a saucepan. When the water is boiling, cook the intestines for 1 minute. Heat the oil in the frying pan and fry the intestines until golden brown. Set aside.
Stuffed Peppers:
Core the peppers. Fry the peppers in hot oil for a few minutes. Remove the peppers and fry the onions in hot oil until golden. In a bowl, mix the rice, onion and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stuff the peppers. Leave enough space for the stuffing to expand. Set aside.
Rice and Lentil Bag:
Wash the rice until the water is no longer cloudy. [Sort] and wash the lentils. In a bowl, mix the rice, lentils and chopped onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper. [Put the mixture in the center of a wet cotton fabric. Tie loosely.] Set aside.
Assembling the Hamin:
Peel the onions and cut into thick slices. Spread the onions over the bottom of a heavy pot. Wash the beans and spread them over the onions. Wash the meat and the bones then lay them over the beans. Wash and peel the potatoes and then lay them over the meat and bones. Spread the barley over the meat, bones and potatoes. Place the stuffed peppers, stuffed kishke, and the rice and lentil bag over the barley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the entire mixture with water.
[Make caramel from the sugar and oil.] Pour the caramel into the pot.
Preheat the oven to 120í C.
Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Transfer the pot, very tightly sealed, to the oven. Bake for 12-18 hours. Cut the rice and lentil bag open. Serve very hot.
!! 19 Muschan - Chicken on Pita Bread
Preheat the oven to 190í C.
Flatten the chicken pieces with a cutlet bat. Rub the chicken pieces with some of the olive oil, salt and pepper. Put the chicken in a baking dish, and bake until done and golden brown, about 30-40 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, then lower the oven to 170í C.
While the chicken is in the oven:
Peel and cut the onions into 3 mm slices. Core and [julienne the bell pepper. Peel and julienne the carrots. Trim and julienne the celery.] Peel and slice the garlic. Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan. Sweat the onion for 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender. Add the pine nuts and the spices.
Divide the vegetables into equal portions and spread over the pita bread. Put a piece of chicken on each plate. Pour the cooking liquid over the chicken and pita bread and bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Serve hot, sprinkled with chopped parsley and a lemon wedge.
!! 20 Jerusalem Kugel - Lukshin (noodle) Kugel
Boil a large quantity of salted water and cook the noodles until tender but not soft. Drain, refresh and pour the noodles into a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 170í C.
[Make the caramel:]
In a frying pan, cook the sugar and the oil until dark but not burnt. Pour the hot caramel over the noodles and mix well.
In another bowl, mix the eggs, sugar, spices, and salt. Mix until the noodles are completely coated with caramel. Pour the noodle mixture into a baking dish. Cover and bake for 2 hours.
