There is something about a chicken roasting in the oven that makes me feel like everything’s going to be ok. Such a simple, humble dish has an amazing power to reassure and comfort. And we could all use a little comfort right now.
This roast chicken is comfort food with a zesty attitude. The recipe comes from Adeena Sussman‘s new cookbook, Sababa. Adeena is a Tel Aviv based food writer and recipe developer. Sababa celebrates the fresh and sunny flavours and vibrant spices of Israel. It’s my new favourite way to make roast chicken. If you have never roasted an entire chicken, nothing could be simpler. Even though we are just 2 at home now, I roast a whole chicken at least once a week. Leftovers the next day are a gift!
Spices figure prominently in this dish. Shallots and red potato wedges get a coating of olive oil and sumac. If you have never used ground sumac, you are missing out. Sumac is a bush that grows in the Middle East. The bright red berries are harvested, dried and ground into a coarse powder with a tangy lemony flavour. It’s much less astringent than lemon juice and adds a light pop of tartness. It’s widely available in Middle Eastern stores and if you’re in Canada, Bulk Barn carries it.
The second spice that makes an appearance is za’atar, which is actually a spice mixture. Za’atar gets mixed with lemon zest and olive oil and massaged into the chicken skin. I love this dish because you roast the chicken and the veggies all in one pan. The fat from the chicken coats the potatoes and the ones at the edge get super crispy.
Be patient and let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes once it’s done before you try to carve it. Served with a green salad, you have a complete meal.
Making falafel at home is not something I ever considered doing until recently. Falafel eating was reserved for trips to Israel. Where the falafel originated is up for debate. Israelis, Egyptians, Palestinians and Lebanese all claim it as their own. But no matter the origin, finding falafel in Israel is as easy as finding a Timmy’s in Canada.
Everyone has their own favourite falafel joint. During one of my first trips to Israel, I fondly recall exceptional falafel in the town of Abu Gosh at The Lebanese Restaurant. On our last trip, we inhaled the falafel at Falafel Hakosem in Tel Aviv. A great falafel has a nubbly texture, moist and fluffy on the inside with a crunchy shell.
The main ingredient in falafel is chickpeas. You must use dried chick peas. Canned chickpeas will give you mushy falafel. Start with soaking dried chickpeas overnight. Once they have soaked for at least 8 hours (and up to 24 hours), drain them and transfer them to a food poriocessor. No need to cook the chickpeas. Chickpeas are quite bland so load up on the flavour. Cumin, dried corriander, sumac, salt and a pinch of cayenne to bring the heat. You need lots of onion and fresh herbs for flavour and freshness. I like the combo of cilantro and parsley, but feel free to just use parsley if you are cilantro averse. The problem is that all this moisture makes them fall apart. Flour is a commonly used binding agent, to help hold the falafel together. However, flour alone as a binding agent leads to dense falafel. The genius folks at Cook’s Illustrated borrowed an Asian bread-baking technique called tangzhong. It involves mixing flour with water and then cooking it briefly in the microwave until it forms a paste.
Here’s the scientific explanation from Cook’s Illustrated, if you geek out like I do at this stuff:
“When the paste is cooked, the flour’s starch granules burst and form a gelatinous web that locks the water in the paste in place, preventing it from making the mixture even looser. Meanwhile, cooking the flour also greatly increases its ability to absorb water, so we can add less flour overall to act as a binder. The result: fritters that are well seasoned, moist, and easy to form.”
Traditionally, falafel is shaped into balls, fried and served stuffed into a pita. I decided to go a bit rogue and make falafel slidfers. I formed them into patties and fried them.Let’s build a slider.
Lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions (raw or pickled), tahini sauce or tzatziki are all fine additions. Pickled beets or turnips would also be delicious. In Israel, you can top your stuffed pita with fries. Although I am a french fry lover, I draw the line on stuffing fries into my falafel. It makes them too soggy. I just ask for them on the side!!
A few years ago, on a trip to Umbria, I started playing a little travel game in my mind. Each day I kept track of all the things I ate. At the end of the night, I decided which bite reigned supreme. I had the opportunity to play last month when I visited Israel to attend my nephew’s induction ceremony into the Israeli army.This was my 13th trip to Israel. Each time I visit, I marvel at how much there is to do and see in this tiny country. If you have never been, or it’s been a while since you last visited, you will be amazed by how modern and sophisticated the culinary scene has become. It’s not all hummus and falafel. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.To understand how the new Israeli cuisine evolved, you need to take a look in the rear-view mirror to examine the roots of the people of this nation. One of the most multi-ethnic countries in the world, Chef Rozanne Gold said that “I can’t think of another group of people with a spoon in so many pots.” Immigrants from Eastern Europe, Germany, France, England, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Syria, to name a few, have all influenced Israeli cuisine. Add to that the proclivity of Israeli youth to travel the world once their mandatory military service is over, bringing back with them ingredient and techniques of a multitude of cuisines, and the result is a new Israeli cuisine that is boldly flavourful, unabashedly joyous and wildly innovative.
The best bite of our third day was at OCD, in Tel Aviv. This restaurant is the brainchild of Chef Raz Rahav. At only 25 years old, he is creating some of the most exciting food in Tel Aviv in a stunning setting.I don’t think that industrial-barn falls under any design style I have ever heard of but it describes the interior perfectly.As the name suggests, Chef Rahav is obsessed with precision and complex artistic plating. But flavour does not take a back seat.There are 2 seatings every night, each accommodating 18 guests around a u-shaped bar with an open kitchen in the center. Watching the chefs plate each course, you get the sense that this is more theatre than restaurant. There is no written menu. As each course is set before you, the chef gives a verbal explanation, either in English or Hebrew.
The day before our dinner, the restaurant emailed us to find out if we had any dietary restrictions. They will tailor the meal for you if there are certain things you do not eat, but, they ask you to come with an open mind. On their website they promise that there are no insects on the menu!
Often restaurants offering tasting menus can be a little formal and stuffy. Not OCD! You know that any meal that begins with a donut is going to be a fun night. Just a heads up here, we shot with my daughter’s iPhone and the lighting was not the greatest for food photography. Luckily Elliott S over at trip advisor had many of the same courses and got way better shots than we did. I have tagged his photos appropriately. Thanks Elliott! I also used some of Chef Rahav’s photos from his instagram account @razi_barvazi
We were greeted with a Sufganiya (hebrew for donut). A tiny little bite, about the size of a Timbit, filled with smoked labneh, sherry vinegar, and a rosemary and olive tapenade. A little flavour bomb. Watching them plate the dishes was almost as much fun as eating the delicious results.The first course was a Red Snapper Tartare. It was served with a Whipped Tomato Bavarois, Seaweed and a Poppy Seed Parker House Roll. What surprised us was that the tomato component was white—because it was made only from the water in which the tomato was simmered. The tartare was fresh and delicate, but it was the Parker House Roll that stole my heart. Chef Rahav respects textural contrasts. The crunch of the wafer thin fried seaweed garnish and those poppy seeds made me very happy.The second course was a Trout Sashimi with Smoked Cucumbers, Melon, Sorrel Flowers and Nigella Seeds Crackers.The tartare was followed up with an amuse bouche of Fried Mochi with Shallot Cream, Pickled Shallots and Cured Sardines. Our server suggested we eat it in one bite. We obliged and were rewarded with a flavour explosion in the mouth.Third course was Beef Tartare with Smoked Ratte Potato and Red Sorrel.
Our fourth course was Steamed European Seabass with Oats, Cashew and Pumpkin-Curry Crab Bisque. That crispy thing you see on top is an oat tuile! Chef Rahav is a master at contrasting textures. The fifth course was a love letter to the humble parsnip. The parsnips were roasted to coax out their natural sweetness. Salted pecans provided the crunch and a bone marrow maple jus added the perfect sweet-savory balance. Course number six was Duck Breast with Turnips, Brandy and Bone Marrow Crumble.The careful attention to detail extended even to the bathrooms where the hand towels are lined up like little soldiers.When dinner begins with a donut and ends with three desserts, it’s a good night in my world.
Course seven was the best bite of the day! Aerated Honey Parfait, (dusted with carrot powder) Candied Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Raisins. The texture of the aerated parfait was like chiffon. It just dissolved in my mouth. It reminded us of carrot cake, but a very sophisticated one!The honey parfait was followed up with the most unusual palate cleanser I have ever eaten. It was a G&T Granita with Sour Cream, Pears, Parsnips and Pine Nuts. Not being a gin lover, it was the only dish I did not finish.The second dessert was called, Buckwheat Textures, which featured pickled cherries and salted caramel. Enough said!Our final course of the night was a Sweet Pea Ice Cream Bar. A perfect end to a very special evening.
You need lots of onion and fresh herbs for flavour and freshness. I like the combo of cilantro and parsley, but feel free to just use parsley if you are cilantro averse. The problem is that all this moisture makes them fall apart. Flour is a commonly used binding agent, to help hold the falafel together. However, flour alone as a binding agent leads to dense falafel. The genius folks at Cook’s Illustrated borrowed an Asian bread-baking technique called tangzhong. It involves mixing flour with water and then cooking it briefly in the microwave until it forms a paste.
Let’s build a slider.
