Two special holiday recipes

From Moti Buchbut, executive chef at the Inbal Jerusalem Hotel, come two fine recipes that will make a particularly elegant holiday meal, especially for the Rosh Hashanah period.

SHANK BONE FILLED WITH DRIED FRUIT AND RICE

Ingredients (serves five):
Lamb shoulder (ask the butcher to remove the bones and create a pocket for filling)
1 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp heated honey
6 fresh thyme sprigs, chopped
8 garlic cloves, sliced

Filling:
2 cups round rice, cooked
1 cup pitted dates, cubed
1 dried apricot, cubed
1 cup Granny Smith apples, cubed
1 cup shelled almonds (blanched)
1 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium ginger root, grated
Salt and pepper to taste

The bed of root vegetables:
3 parsley roots, coarsely chopped
3 celery roots, coarsely chopped
8 medium artichokes, coarsely chopped
6 carrots, sliced
1 red onion, coarsely chopped
1 head of garlic, halved
1 1/2 cups red wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the filling ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the pocket of the lamb shoulder with the filling.

Sauté all of the root vegetables in a frying pan until golden.

Pour the vegetables into a baking dish. Place the meat on top of the vegetables.

Mix the honey, thyme, olive oil and garlic together and pour it over the meat. Pour the wine over the vegetables. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350°F for about 90 minutes. Uncover and bake again at 300°F for an additional 90 minutes.

To serve, slice the meat, place it on a serving plate and add a spoon of vegetables.

ROSH HASHANAH HONEY CAKE

1 cup corn oil
1 cup water
4 medium eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup sugar
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cubed

In a standard mixer, mix all of the ingredients (except the apples) for about four minutes, until fluffy. Divide into two long loaf pans (about 3/4 of the way full) and sprinkle with apples and almonds. Bake at 325°F for about 35 minutes. Cool and serve. Can be kept in a cool place for up to two weeks.

– Courtesy of International Media Placement

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