Third time’s a charm? Saturday night marked COOK’s third class and boy, what a class it was! Michael Solomonov of Zahav, Percy Street Barbecue and the upcoming Federal Donuts was in to teach a class on Modern Israeli Cuisine. And if that wasn’t enough, Michael Klein, from the Philadelphia Inquirer and most recently heading up the website Philly.com/food, was in to host the evening for us!

Sixteen lucky guests (and I say lucky because this class sold out in one… count it… ONE day) were treated to an amazing menu filled with some of my favorites from Zahav and a couple of new items as well:

• Hummus and Laffa
• Israeli Salad, Marinated Mackeral, Za-atar
• Hiramasa with Poppy Seeds, Roasted Beets and Labaneh
• Crispy Tomato Rice Pilaf with Smoked Chicken and Cinnamon
• Glazed Lamb Shanks with Summer Squash, Eggplant, Pistachio
• Roasted Peaches in Honey, Orange Blossom, Kataifi, Ricotta

Israeli wines, chosen by Zahav sommelier Brian Kane, were featured and made excellent pairings with the smoked chicken and lamb dishes. The 2009 Recanati Chardonnay and the 2007 Tabor Cabernet Sauvignon Adama Kfar Terra were definitely a big hit with the crowd. Solo’s assistant Zack Engel, fresh from a trip to Israel, had spent some time at wineries in the country and noted that Israeli wines were very up and coming! Definitely worth checking out!

Solomonov explained step by step how to recreate this incredible menu in your home, which included tips on where to shop for ingredients and how to smoke chicken indoors with aluminum foil. Klein, whose wife Jen is pregnant with twins (!), grilled Solmonov on what it was like to win a James Beard award and where he eats on his days off. Answers? Zama and Pho 75. I’m more of a Pho Ha girl myself… but couldn’t agree more with Zama. He’ll be teaching a sushi class soon!

My favorite part of the night? During a break between courses, Solmonov and Zack introduced the guests to a tradition at Zahav that involves rock, paper, scissors… and the loser receiving a slap to the face. Ouch. Chef Marc Vetri even stopped by to heckle support his good friends Michael and Audrey. What a fun night!

Check out two of the recipes he prepared below:

HIRAMASA WITH POPPY SEEDS, ROASTED BEETS, AND LABANEH

Hiramasa

• 4 Hiramasa filets
• 2 cups poppy Seeds
• 4 tablespoons of canola or vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons of butter, tempered
• Kosher salt to taste

1. In a mixing bowl pour in the poppy seeds. Dredge the hiramasa filets through to cover them in poppy seeds. Lightly salt them after the coat.
2. In a hot pan, add the canola or vegetable oil. Gently lay in the hiramasa filets and let cook on one side. Flip them over and cook until golden-brown.
3. When the filets are a golden brown color on both sides, gently remove them from the pan and drain them on paper towels. Set aside.

 

Roasted Beets

• 4 whole red beets, with skin
• 2 cups of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
2. Place the beets on a baking sheet and generously sprinkle all the salt on the beets and allowing some to rest on the baking sheet.
3. Put in the oven for 45 minutes. Then pull the beets out of the oven and using a fork, check them for doneness. If the fork does not easily slip out of the beet it is not tender enough. Roast them for another 15 minutes or until done.
4. Let them cool in a refrigerator or at room temp.
5. Once cooled, peel the skin off the beets using a small knife. (Note: wear rubber gloves or your hands will be stained with the juices from the roasted beets).
6. After peeling, cut the beets into slices approximately 1/4” thick.

 

Herb Labaneh

• 3 lbs. Labaneh (Greek Yogurt)
• 1 cup parsley leaves
• 1 cup mint leaves
• 1 cup chives
• 1 cup dill sprigs
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. salt

1. In a food processor, combine 1 lb. of labaneh, the herbs and the garlic. Puree.
2. Place the mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the remainder of the labaneh, salt and lemon juice. Whisk until the mixture is uniform.

 

GLAZED LAMB SHANKS WITH SUMMER SQUASH, EGGPLANT, PISTACHIO

Lamb Shanks

• 4 Lamb Shanks
• Kosher Salt
• Dried Rose Hips, ground (Note: Nutmeg or Saffron can be used instead)
• 2 cups pomegranate juice
• 2 cups water

1. Weigh the lamb shanks and then place into a large mixing bowl.
2. Mix the salt and dried rose hip cure by calculating 2% of the weight of the lamb and use that amount of kosher salt to cure the lamb shanks. Do the same for 1% of the weight for the dried rose hips. (For instance, if the lamb weighs 100 grams, use 2 grams of salt and 1 gram of dried rose hips for the cure)
3. Sprinkle over the shanks and mix thoroughly. Place on a baking sheet or plate and let sit refrigerated overnight or for at least 4 hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 500° F.
5. Place the shanks in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 10 minutes. Once the shanks are well roasted, remove them from the oven.
6. Lower the oven to 400 °F.
7. Once cured, in a deep roasting pan lay the shanks in a single layer with the bone pointing up, ensuring that the meat is lying on the bottom of the pan. Add the water and pomegranate juice to the pan and seal tightly with two layers of aluminum foil.
8. Check after two hours. If the meat is close to sliding off the bone then it is cooked. If not, place the pan back in the oven and check every 30 minutes.
9. Once cooked, let the shanks cool at room temperature. If refrigerated the braised shanks can keep ( in the liquid) for up to a week.

10.  To glaze—place the shank in a sauté pan with some of the braising liquid. Cover with tin foil and heat up on the stove until steam is escaping from the covered pan. Place in the oven at 400 ° F and remove the tin foil. Baste every 5 minutes, allowing the sugars of the braising liquid to caramelize and glaze over the shanks.

Tehina

• 1/2 head of garlic
• 1 cup lemon juice
• 3 lbs. raw tehini
• 1.5 lbs. water
• 1 tbsp. cumin, ground
• 2 tbsp. kosher salt

1. In a food processor or blender, puree the garlic head and lemon juice.
2. Pass through a fine strainer or cheese cloth.
3. In a large mixing bowl or machine (such as a Kitchen-Aid) mix all the ingredients together but using only half the water at first. Slowly add the remainder of the water while whisking slowly.
4. For a thicker consistency add less water and to make a thin tehina sauce add up to 8 ounces more of water.

 

Zucchini Babaghanoush

• 1 large Zucchini
• 1 cups of prepared tehina.
• 1 ½ cups basil leaves
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
• 2 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil

1. Drizzle the olive oil over the zucchini and roast in the oven at 350 °F for about 20 minutes or until the zucchini is very tender. Remove the stem after it is cooked.
2. In a food processor combine the roasted zucchini, prepared tehina, basil, cumin, salt, and lemon juice. Blend for two minutes to make sure the texture is smooth and the babaghanoush will be uniformly seasoned. If the mixture is too thick add a few tablespoons of water at a time until you get the consistency you desire.

 

Eggplant and Shishito Pepper Salad

• 3/4 cup eggplant, 1/4” dice
• 1/2 cup shishito peppers, 1/4” dice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup pistachios whole
• 3 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
• Salt, to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil

1. In a hot sauté pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the garlic. Saute for 2 minutes until the garlic begins to brown a little.
2. Add the diced shishito peppers and sauté until soft, approximately 5 minutes.
3. Add the sherry vinegar and coat the shishitos. Cook until the vinegar has evaporated.
4. Remove from the pan, let it cool, and set aside.
5. In a larger hot pan, add about 4-5 tablespoons of olive oil and add the eggplant. Let the eggplant cook without stirring for a few minutes so as to get a brown sear on them.
6. Add 1 tablespoon of salt and stir. Continue to let the eggplant cook until their color darkens and they become softer.
7. Remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside.
8. In a hot sauté pan, toast the pistachios in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 10 minutes, stirring every so often.
9. Remove from the pan and let cool. Coarsely chop the pistachios.

10.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked shishitos, eggplant, and toasted pistachios.

11.  Mix thoroughly and add the parsley. Mix one more time and season as you see fit.

(Note: Shishitos are sometimes hard to find but can be replaced with another mild-medium peppers such as Anaheims or Poblanos)

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