Pesce All’Ebraica (Sweet and Sour Jewish Fish)

Amarante

Mon, May 24 2021, 2:12 pm

This was enjoyed by everyone. I used cod and pieces were thicker than sole or flounder generally is. Sauce was delicious and this was a simple preparation. Pine nuts are inexpensive at Trader Joe.

Pesce All’Ebraica (Sweet and Sour Jewish Fish)

Excerpt From: Leah Koenig - Little Book of Jewish Feasts

Italian Jewish cuisine boasts many wonderful fish recipes, including this one. Traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah or the meal before Yom Kippur, as well as on Shabbat, it provides a festive feel and ample flavor without a lot of effort. Pesce All’Ebraica is traditionally flavored with pine nuts and raisins—ingredients that attest to the great influence Arabic cooking (introduced to Jews in Sicily and other parts of Southern Italy by traders) had on Jewish cuisine. This version maintains the pine nuts but substitutes the raisins with plump red grapes, which have a juicier bite”

SERVES 6

1/2 CUP [60 G] PINE NUTS
1/3 CUP [80 ML] EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1/3 CUP [80 ML] RED WINE VINEGAR
3 TBSP MILD HONEY
11/4 TSP KOSHER SALT, PLUS MORE FOR SPRINKLING
6 LARGE SHALLOTS, HALVED AND THINLY SLICED
6 GARLIC CLOVES, PEELED AND THINLY SLICED
11/2 CUPS [240 G] SEEDLESS RED GRAPES, HALVED
6 MEDIUM FIRM FISH FILLETS (SUCH AS SOLE OR FLOUNDER; ABOUT 2 LB [910 G] TOTAL)
1/4 TSP FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F [200°C]. Put the pine nuts in a small sauté pan set over medium-low heat and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.

2. Whisk together the olive oil, roasted pine nuts, vinegar, honey, and the 1/4 tsp salt until well combined in a medium bowl. Arrange the shallots, garlic, and grapes on the bottom of a 9-by-13-in [23-by-33-cm] baking dish. Drizzle about half of the oil and vinegar mixture over the top. Lay the fillets in a single layer on top of the shallots and grapes (slightly overlapping is okay), sprinkle with a little more salt and the pepper, and drizzle with the remaining oil and vinegar mixture.

3. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes. Uncover and continue baking, basting occasionally with the pan juices, until the fish is tender and cooked through, 10 to 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature, with pan juices, roasted shallots, and grapes spooned over the fish. Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Amarante

Mon, May 24 2021, 6:45 pm

simcha2 wrote:

I'm a big fan of Claudia Rosen and her "Book of Jewish Food". Not only because it has recipes similar to this (and more), but because of the stories of the Jewish communities in those countries.

Joan Nathan also writes cookbooks which are essentially historical and anthropological explorations of Jews as they have lived throughout the world in different times and evolved. Her King Solomon’s Table is exhaustive. One can enjoy the books and learn so much even if one doesn’t cook. I have a very old book which focuses on cooking of the Eastern European shetl Jews. It has wonderful photos of The lower East Side and Eastern European Jewery. The recipes are very much like the ones my Bubbe cooked although she obviously had no written recipes but just cooked from memory. Although she did brag that she had learned some of her recipes from someone who cooked for the Tsar althiugh I am inclined to think thst is truly a Bubbemeister. 😂😂😂🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

I very much enjoy cultural history as I believe that much can be learned if we focus in how everyday people actually lived. I have read some really fascinating books on the history of knitting as well as housework in general.