Tiny brisket, cheesy tartiflette work for any dinner this holiday weekend
Julie Van Rosendaal offers a recipe sure to please Easter or Passover dinner party
Two options for your Easter/Passover table: a smaller-than-usual brisket and tartiflette.
Easter comes with its own food traditions; hot cross buns, eggs, baked ham and lamb are common.
But this Good Friday also happens to be the beginning of Passover, so whether you're serving your seder dinner or celebrating Easter, Passover or just the long weekend and start of spring, here are two options that are perfect for serving a small (or large) crowd.
Some believe tartiflette comes from the Savoie region of France. Others say it was invented by a company in the 1980s to boost sales of cheese.
Either way, it's divine, almost like a cross between scalloped potatoes and raclette. It's far easier to make, by virtue of the fact that there's no need to slice potatoes paper-thin.
It's easy to multiply quantities for a larger crowd. Aim for a single layer of potatoes in your pan, tossed around with cooked, chopped bacon and onions, drizzle with cream and top with cheese. Bake until golden. There's no need to worry about the potatoes cooking through or becoming watery.
This brisket recipe is based on what's said to be the most-Googled brisket recipe on the internet.
It comes from Nach Waxman, owner of New York City cookbook store Kitchen Arts and Letters. He got the idea from The New Basics cookbook.
Like most brisket recipes, the recipe calls for an enormous brisket, six pounds in this case, although briskets often run up to 10 lbs.
Not that there's anything wrong with leftovers, but brisket can be pricey. So if you don't want quite such a large brisket, this pared-down version is perfect for a 1-3 lb brisket.
It's not a typo; this recipe doesn't call for beer, wine or other braising liquid.
The moisture that cooks off of the onions and brisket is enough.
But if it looks dry, add a splash of water. I found I needed to do this toward the end of the cooking time, perhaps because it was a smaller piece of meat.
Slicing the brisket halfway through the cooking time makes for even slices. It'll be ultra-tender but won't fall apart when you try to slice it when it's done.
If you're serving a larger crowd, buy a larger brisket. The original recipe calls for a 6 lb piece of meat. Like most brisket, it's even better the next day. Many cooks make it the day before they plan to serve it and simply rewarm it in the oven, covered with foil.
Small Brisket
I made a 1½ lb brisket. It was perfect for four, maybe six people if there are kids or small appetites at the table.
Ingredients
1-3 lb beef brisket, trimmed.
Canola or other vegetable oil, for cooking.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3 large onions, halved and thinly sliced.
A few tablespoons of tomato paste or crushed tomatoes.
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced.
1-3 carrots, peeled and sliced.
Preparation
In a heavy skillet or cast iron Dutch oven, brown the beef in a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat, sprinkling with salt and pepper, until well browned on both sides.
Transfer to a plate and add the onions to the pot.
Cook, stirring to loosen any browned bits in the bottom of the pan, for five to six minutes, until turning golden.
Place the brisket on top of the onions, spread the surface with a few tablespoons of tomato paste or crushed tomatoes and scatter with garlic.
Cover and cook for 1½ hours.
Remove from the oven and slice the brisket across the grain, then return it to the pot.
Add some carrots and a big splash of water. I needed about ½ cup further into the cooking time, so it wouldn't be too much.
Cover and cook for another two hours, checking once in awhile to make sure it isn't dry. If it is, add a bit more water, stock, beer or wine.
The meat should be very tender. If you like, cool and refrigerate overnight and rewarm it the next day.
Serving: Four to six people.
Tartiflette with Oka
Whole, tiny, new potatoes work great here. Otherwise buy small, thin-skinned potatoes and cut them into quarters or large chunks.
Oka, a creamy, nutty cheese from Quebec, is wonderful on top, but you could also use a slab of raclette or even brie.
Ingredients
1½ lbs thin-skinned, yellow-fleshed potatoes, cut into large pieces.
3-4 slices of bacon, chopped.
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
A grating of fresh nutmeg.
½-¾ cup heavy whipping cream or 18 per cent coffee cream.
1 small wheel or wedge of Oka cheese.
Salt and freshly ground black pepper.
A few sprigs of thyme (optional).
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350 F/177 C. Cook the potatoes in salted water until just tender.
In a heavy ovenproof skillet like a cast iron, cook the bacon until almost crisp.
Add the onion and continue cooking for two minutes.
If you like, deglaze with a good splash of white wine and simmer until the wine is reduced by half.
Add the cubed potatoes, salt and pepper and nutmeg. Mix well.
Drizzle the cream over the top.
If you're using a wheel of Oka, slice the rind from the bottom of the cheese and lightly scratch the top rind of the cheese with a knife.
Place the cheese, rind side up, on top of the potato mixture. Otherwise just set the slice on top.
Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and, if you like, a few sprigs of thyme.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the cheese is melted and everything is bubbly and golden.
Serve immediately.
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With files from the Calgary Eyeopener.
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