Ask A Minnesota Chef: Top Traditional Chanukah Recipes

Chanukah, the eight-day festival of light kicks off on Dec. 6 this year.  Also commonly known as Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday is celebrated with, among other things, lots of delicious food. It is customary to enjoy fare fried in oil or made with cheese during this time. We've tapped a talented local chef to share his favorite traditional recipes to serve up during Chanukah.

Kevin Silverman
Bonde Bistro
203 Bridge Ave. E.
Delano, MN 55328
(763) 972-2688
www.bondebistro.com

Growing up in South Florida, Kevin Silverman has fond memories of his mother cooking traditional recipes to celebrate Chanukah, and of sneaking a taste (or more) before family arrived for the holiday. "My brother and I could finish a batch of latkes before she was done cooking," says Silverman. "They are the best right out of the oil with sour cream and apple sauce; the hot and cold combination with the saltiness of the potatoes and creaminess of the apples and sour cream. Then we would be too full for dinner, but I think we managed to eat a few more."

Now a transplant to a much colder locale, Silverman works as the sous chef at Bonde Bistro in the West Metro under Charlie Williams, the executive chef and owner. Bonde specializes in delicious wood-fired American cooking. "We are a scratch kitchen," says Silverman. "Meaning that everything we cook, prepare and serve is made in-house. This includes our pickles, smoked chicken, and even our stocks and sauces." One of Silverman's favorite dishes at Bonde Bistro is the ribs. "They are dry rubbed and smoked for over four hours 'till they pull away from the bone. The dry rub differs from the normal BBQ sauce ribs, but they are even better in my opinion and have just the right amount of heat and smoke." Stop by Bonde Bistro to have the ribs or another locally sourced meal expertly prepared for you. Or try whipping up one of these traditional Chanukah recipes at home instead, recipes courtesy of Silverman and his mom.

Potato Latkes 

• 3 lbs. potatoes, russets
• 1 lb. onions, diced
• 2 eggs
• 1 c. flour and as needed
• 2 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil or butter as needed

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes and grate into a bowl
2. Press the potatoes and drain off any liquid
3. In a saucepan, add the onions with a bit of oil or butter and cook until golden brown and caramelized
4. Add the onions, eggs, and flour to the potato mixture
5. Mix until the potatoes are bound together and can be formed into patties, add more flour if necessary
6. Season with parsley, salt and pepper and cook a small sample to check seasoning
7. Form into 4-6 inch patties depending on preference
8. Heat oil in large pan with enough to cover half of the latkes and cook until golden brown on both sides
9. Transfer to paper towel to remove excess oil

Makes 20 – 30 latkes
Related: Best Fried Cheese In Minnesota

Braised Brisket

• 6-8 lb. brisket, flat cut
• 1 lb. onions, roughly chopped
• ½ lb. carrots, roughly chopped
• ½ celery, roughly chopped
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine
• ½ cup coffee or Coca-Cola
• 1 qt. beef stock (enough to cover half of the brisket)
• 1 tbsp. paprika
• 1 tbsp. dried oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• oil as needed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Season brisket generously with the salt and pepper, as well as the paprika and oregano
3. Get the pan you will cook the brisket in very hot and add oil
4. Sear the brisket on all sides until deep brown and remove from pan
5. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and brown until caramelized
6. Add the tomato paste and brown again
7. Deglaze the pan with the red wine and reduce until almost dry
8. Add the brisket back to the pan and add the coffee (or Coca-Cola) and beef stock, enough to cover half of the brisket
9. Cover with a lid and put in the oven for 2-3 hours, until the brisket is "fork" tender
10. Once cooked, remove the brisket and strain the liquid from the vegetables
11. Reduce the liquid at a simmer until it has thickened slightly, and serve with brisket

Serves 6 – 8

Gravlax (Cured Salmon) 

• 4-7 lbs. salmon, wild caught preferred, filleted with the skin on
• 50/50 ratio each of dark brown sugar and salt
• ¼ lb. dill or enough to cover fish
• 2 Tbsp Aquavit or similar spiced liquor
• Cheesecloth

Directions:

1. Make sure there are no bones in the salmon
2. Combine the sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well
3. Place the salmon over enough cheesecloth to wrap the salmon, skin side down in a container big enough to hold the fish
4. Sprinkle the Aquavit evenly over the fish
5. Add a small layer of the salt and sugar to the fish evenly and coat well
6. Place dill over the fish using enough to cover
7. Add more of the salt and sugar on top of the dill
8. Wrap the fish tightly in the cheesecloth and refrigerate for three days
9. Slice thinly on a sharp angle

Flan 

• 3 Tbsp and 1 c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 ½ c. milk
• 1 vanilla bean
• 2 whole eggs and 6 egg yolks

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 300
2. Heat the water and 3 Tbsp of sugar in a pot and make a caramel
3. Line ramekins with the caramel making sure to have the caramel halfway up the sides
4. Add the milk and scraped vanilla bean to a saucepan and heat (do not boil)
5. Let mixture sit for 10-15 minutes to steep
6. Beat the eggs and yolks with the sugar until pale
7. Temper the milk into the eggs
8. Strain the vanilla bean out of the mixture
9. Pour custard mixture into ramekins, using a torch to dissipate bubbles on top if any
10. Place ramekins in baking dish and fill the dish halfway up the ramekins with water
11. Bake for about an hour or until set, cool when finished baking

Makes six small flans

Related: Best Bagels In Minnesota

Cortney Mohnk is a freelance writer covering all things Minnesota. She is also a public relations and event planning professional. Her most important job is mother to her young son and daughter, who are her partners-in-crime when checking out the family entertainment scene in the Twin Cities. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.